This article discusses mentorship provided to Indigenous Australian secondary school leavers. The authors suggest that, although current scholarship in the field is insightful, there is a dearth of material focusing on mentorship provided during the post-secondary school transitional phase. Also, much literature problematises Indigenous mentees…

Social inclusion in Australian higher education was high on the agenda of the recent Rudd/Gillard Australian Government. This paper offers an assessment of that agenda, particularly the extent to which it worked in favour of under-represented groups. It argues that the Government's widening and expansion policies and its equity and aspiration…

This review of current research into at-risk programmes serves to categorise and characterise existing programmes and to evaluate the contribution of these programmes to assisting students at risk from marginalised backgrounds. This characterisation questions the (sometimes) implicit assumptions and the consequences of those assumptions inherent…

For a while now I have been researching and writing about Australian Indigenous education issues. Like you all, I have seen much good work and learnt much from what is going on across the country and internationally to improve outcomes for Indigenous learners in formal education processes. And still we go on with the struggle and with the…

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an Australian program that helps people to obtain formal recognition for relevant work experience, life experience, and formal training. This report documents existing good practices in RPL assessment and staff training for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, provides information on culturally…

Two innovative approaches to delivering vocational education and training (VET) in schools were examined to identify ways of helping Australia's indigenous students achieve academic success by ensuring a close cultural fit between course content and the realities of local employment opportunities. The first VET-in-School program, which was located…