People with Disabilities
Group Training: A pathway into employment and training for people with a disability
| Projects > People with Disabilities |
 |
In 2000, the Ministers for Vocational Education and Training agreed to a national strategy for improving outcomes in
vocational education and training for people with a disability.Bridging Pathways, the national strategy for people with a disability is supported by a blueprint for implementation for the period 2000-2005.
Ministers also agreed to establish the Australian Disability Training Advisory Council (ADTAC) to oversee the implementation of the blueprint and monitor its progress.
With nearly 25% of all New Apprentices with a disability employed through group training arrangements, it was apparent that Group Training Organisations (GTO) were an important means by which people with a disability could increase their access to employment and training opportunities. As a result, in July 2001, ANTA commissioned GTA to undertake a project to identify and document examples of best practice in employing people with a disability through group training arrangements.
In August 2002, GTA published two reports Key Success Factors in Placing and Supporting New Apprentices with Disabilities through Group Training: Findings of a National Study and Key Success Factors in Placing and Supporting New Apprentices with Disabilities through Group Training: A Best Practice Guide. While the national study has been published as a web edition only, the guide has been widely distributed within both the vocational education and training sector and industry.
The study has identified a number of features of best practice. However, it has also isolated one major feature that can make a significant contribution to increasing Australian Apprenticeship opportunities for people with a disability. This feature is the establishment of collaborative partnerships between Group Training Organisations and Disability Employment Agencies (DEA) most of which are funded by the Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS).
The resources and expertise that GTOs and DEAs can bring to bear in vacancy gathering, recruitment, selection and support during on and off-the-job training make for greater success than if each were acting alone. The best practice guide outlines the key characteristics of effective partnering and also includes a template Memorandum of Understanding that can be used as the basis of partnership arrangements.
GTA hopes that the ideas and information contained in both the national study and in particular, the best practice guide, will inspire others to use this learning and follow the example of those who have shown how it can be done.
Key Success Factors in Placing and Supporting New Apprentices with Disabilities through Group Training: Findings of a National Study
Key Success Factors in Placing and Supporting New Apprentices with Disabilities through Group Training: A Best Practice Guide
Please note that these files are in the Adobe PDF format. To get the ACROBAT READER, please click the button below:
