Policy and Research

Community Colleges Australia (CCA) is committed to providing input into the adult education policy debate at federal, state and territory government levels. CCA undertakes to express its members’ interests to ensure that the vital work undertaken by locally-owned NFP education providers of VET, foundation courses, personal development and life-long learning is acknowledged and represented in future government agendas.

This includes not only education policy, but other key areas that CCA members work across, including social inclusion, disability, health and ageing, Indigenous, re-engaging youth and refugee/migrant education.

Research Projects

Community Colleges Australia undertakes research projects to assist Australia’s not-for-profit (NFP) community education providers to serve their communities, especially vulnerable and disadvantaged learners. These projects provide the evidence base that shows the successes and capabilities of CCA members and the NFP community providers. Current and recent research projects are described below.

Western Sydney Regional Economic Development

Western Sydney is Australia’s third largest economy, after Sydney and Melbourne central business districts. At least 11 current CCA members operate wholly or partially in Western Sydney. With the assistance of the NSW Department of Industry, CCA has investigated how the not-for-profit community education sector can assist the economic development of this important region. Read about CCA’s Western Sydney Regional Economic Development Forum, held in Parramatta on 26 October 2018, and view copies of Forum presentations.

Community education and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

Community Colleges Australia acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of our land, Australia. CCA acknowledges that our Sydney office is located on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

CCA is developing a strategy for how not-for-profit Australian community education sector can work collaboratively with Indigenous organisations and communities to achieve a real improvements in Indigenous educational attainment and empowerment, on local, regional and national levels.

Read CCA’s Statement on Aboriginal Economic Development (March 2018) and Statement on Indigenous Australians and VET, in honour of NAIDOC Week, July 2017.

Community Education in Rural and Regional Australia

Because a significant amount of community-based education takes place in rural, regional and remote Australia (more than 70% of government-funded VET students in New South Wales), community education providers have an important role to play outside of the capital cities. CCA has partnered with governments and peak regional and rural organisation to determine the most effective ways for community education to assist in Australia's regional economic development, and to achieve educational equity for all Australians. Read more here.

Migrant and Refugee Education

Many of Australia’s NFP community education providers deliver educational and other services to migrants and refugees, especially through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP).

Youth Support and Engagement

Every CCA member engages with young people, providing a wide range of services. These range from specialised job skills courses to independent not-for-profit special assistance secondary schools for young people who just don’t fit in to regular schools. CCA is currently cataloguing the diversity of these unique community-based initiatives.

“The challenge of ensuring that all young people remain in education long enough to make a successful transition to work is not new. However, the transition from education to full-time work has become increasingly difficult for young people …. This is because the world of work has been changing. Jobs have been transforming in the emerging knowledge economy and now require higher levels of knowledge and skills to obtain.” (Source: Kaye Bowman, Engaging Young People in Education and Training and How Young People Are Faring, Dusseldorp Skills Forum).

Community Education for People with Disabilities

With the roll-out of Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme, community education providers have an important role to play in supporting people with disabilities. CCA research shows that Australia’s not-for-profit community education providers consistently engage many more learners with disabilities than either TAFE or private for-profit VET providers – frequently up to twice as many on a percentage basis.

Mental Health and Community Education

Community education providers frequently play an important role in supporting the mental health outcomes of their communities, working with Primary Health Care networks and other local and regional organisations to run collaborative projects.  CCA has commenced working with a number of our providers, cataloguing best practice community education activities and models in mental health.

Mature Workers

Community education providers specialise in reaching and training older workers, defined as those aged 45 to 70 years. Because of their historic strengths in delivering lifestyle, leisure and personal development courses to older Australians, community providers are adept at reaching this group. Data from the NCVER shows this to be true: the percentage of people aged 45-plus participating in government-funded VET training in community providers is double the percentage studying with either TAFE or for-profit providers.

Innovation and community education

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it." So says Alan Kay, American computer scientist and winner of the A.M. Turing Award. Last year CCA's national conference focused on the theme of innovation, under the title "Innovation: What's Next for Community Education?"

Work-based Learning in Community Education Providers

This research project focused on developing a better understanding of the extent to which community providers are delivering training, including foundation skills, through work-based learning arrangements, and the styles of work-based learning that have been successful in up-skilling workers. The research questions were:

• To what extent are community providers providing work placements?
• To what extent are community providers delivering work-based learning?
• To what extent are community providers offering foundation skills to business?
• What styles of learning have been successful for up-skilling workers?

This project was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training through its Strategic Partnerships Program. Click here to view a copy of CCA’s interim report for this project (December 2015).