Northern Territory Adult Literacy And Numeracy Best Practice

There are many issues involved in planning, delivering and reviewing literacy and numeracy training programs in the Northern Territory. For the purposes of this project, a number of training providers were interviewed to determine the main issues affecting successful delivery of training programs. As you may notice, there is a certain synchronicity in the responses, with some issues arising repeatedly despite differences in delivery mode, industry/professions and student profiles.

Case Study 1     Partnership of training providers, remote school, a national park and an Indigenous-owned hotel

Program Outcomes

The issue of students ‘dropping out’ of lifelong learning mid-teens has become a major issue in this remote town and concern took the form of a local group getting together to support and re-engage local youths with the view to attaining basic work-readiness skills and the ability to job search.
Seven out of the eighteen (18) students who attempted to obtain their driver’s licence were successful on completion of this program. This was considered to be within the parameters of a successful program, in light of the connectedness of the youth in past education/training programs at this remote location.

Student Support

Fifteen (15) students undertook structured work experience either in the national park or the local hotel. This proved a challenging but successful program. The real-life context of the program, complete with financial and nutritional support, meant this was an enjoyable part of the program for the trainees.

Transport

Transporting the trainees to and from their workplace on an almost daily basis proved an onerous task for the employers but was a necessary part of the program.

Student Ages

The major impediment to the program appeared to be the age group of the trainees and their literacy levels. It was noted by one employer group involved that the age group (15-19 years) was too young to expect students to organise themselves and work independently to attain their goals. Instead, students of this age group required considerable support from training staff and host employers, which was very time-consuming. This had not been factored into the program in its initial planning.

Literacy Levels

The low literacy level of the participants was also a difficulty when the timeframe for the program was so short. Six weeks is the expected length of time a person with adequate literacy and numeracy would take to complete a defensive driving program.

As this program targeted local Indigenous people, training pre-requisites incorporated certain levels of literacy and numeracy skills. In 2005, the program became available to all interested Indigenous applicants. This decision was made on the grounds that many locals were missing out on the opportunity to participate and places in the program were increasingly being filled by non-local Indigenous people. From the commencement of the 2005 program, the variety of traineeship programs was increased to suit a more diverse range of literacy and numeracy skill levels.

Case Study 2  Workplace English Language and Literacy in Arnhemland

Continuity of Learning

During this program, on-site delivery was conducted by trainers who flew into remote locations from a university regional centre. Issues included different levels of literacy in the same class and fluctuating numbers of students, which increased during the Wet season sometimes by 200-300%, as rising flood waters restricted travel. Combined with the sometimes hazardous flying conditions for trainers with forced flight delays or cancellations, these issues resulted in classes finding continuity to be the most difficult aspect of this delivery mode.

Contextualised Literacy

Literacy was contextually based and produced some excellent results where some level of continuity could be managed.

Facilities

The lack of teaching facilities was felt by the trainer to be an inhibitor to the overall success of the program.

Case Study 3  Administrative training for Indigenous staff at a national park

Literacy Levels

Low levels of literacy was an important issue to consider, as students of this program were national park employees in administrative roles.

Case Study 4  Indigenous Employment Program at Indigenous-owned hotel

Student Support

Successful applicants often needed assistance with commencement and induction paperwork, as most new trainees were assessed at levels 2 or 3 in literacy upon commencement. Satisfying OH&S and other obligations upon induction were onerous and very time-consuming for trainees with low literacy levels.

Student Retention

Retention rates were low during this program, which provided Indigenous participants with employment at the local Indigenous-owned hotel, in addition to daily transport to and from the hotel and meals. For various reasons, some trainees withdrew from the program. Beginning with a total of five participants in the initial program, two had withdrawn by Week 3 and one withdrew by Week 5, resulting in only two students completing their traineeships. These students attained their chosen Certificate II qualifications and are still employed by the hotel.

Literacy Levels

This program initially demanded particular skill levels of literacy and numeracy, but this was found to be rather limiting for Indigenous applicants.

Literacy Assessment

It was determined that the literacy and numeracy assessment conducted on the first day of this program was too arduous and judgemental, with the result that potential participants (local and non-local Indigenous people) were left feeling discouraged. This deterred them from continuing the program.

Literacy Support In an effort to broaden the appeal to potential students, and to improve retention rates of trainees, the program was altered in 2005 to encompass literacy and numeracy training. Related prerequisites were abandoned for some of the traineeships. Students undertook a 6-week pre-employment program and then attended the local university regional centre for one day per week literacy and numeracy training for the duration of their traineeship. Tutors were employed to provide additional support to trainees.

IT Skills

Integrated computer training forms a large part of the university-based delivery.

Case Study 5  Indigenous traineeships in a National Park

Tailored Training

Each trainee has an individually tailored training program planned in conjunction with his/her interests. In many cases, this has meant being involved in the day-to-day management of the national park, where on-site training takes place.

Case Study 6 Medium security prison

Literacy Levels

The literacy level of the students falls into two main groups and program planning must incorporate this in order to achieve successful outcomes.

Case Study 7  A partnership in the metalliferous mining program

Literacy Levels

Trainees employed at this large mining company were initially assessed for their literacy and numeracy levels, and an individual competency achievement plan was developed for each trainee.

Contextualised Literacy and Numeracy

Training was conducted in the context of their working conditions and proved highly relevant and achievable, particularly in the application of literacy and numeracy skills.

Case Study 8  Private religious schools

Funding and Support

A key factor enabling these programs to work in a private religious schools environment, is extra funding and support for literacy and numeracy.

Good Practitioners

Another key factor for success involves the selection and retention of good practitioners with subject expertise.

Tailored Training

Funding, support and good practitioners enables a less ‘mainstream’ approach to occur in a school context, particularly for senior secondary students. Training solutions include smaller group-style teaching and programs specifically designed to meet the needs of particular Indigenous students. Approval is gained from the Northern Territory and South Australian Boards of Education for tailored programs as required.

Program Outcomes

Success of these programs is defined by improved literacy and numeracy, and potentially a greater number of Indigenous students completing Years 11 and 12. The governing religious organisation notes that that the success of these programs relies heavily upon the teaching practitioners, who need enthusiasm, good delivery styles, commitment, engagement, knowledge and expertise. Practitioners need to be well supported yet also flexible and engaged when working with students from a range of backgrounds, including small Indigenous communities in the remote areas of the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland.
Opportunities for Indigenous students to return to their communities and contribute to a workforce pathway are an important consideration. Although employment outcomes cannot be guaranteed, training is selected according to possible job opportunities, such as building construction.

Case Study 9  Indigenous health workers course

Literacy and Numeracy Levels

The course offered by a prominent health organisation, with a focus on Indigenous health, is unable to cater for students with low literacy levels because funding (discussed below) does not allow for long-term remedial work. Accepted applicants generally have literacy and numeracy levels equivalent to Year 10. For mature-age students this may include a reasonable length of experience in occupations where literacy skills have been taught or are needed, rather than formal schooling.

Contextualised Literacy

Technical language, although it can be complex in the medical field, is taught within context during health worker training. This program, conducted by a prominent health organisation, focuses on key terms most likely to be relevant in an Indigenous health context.
Literacy and numeracy skills development for an environmental health context is an important focus in the training and the work of Aboriginal health workers. Health workers are trained to deal not only with the patient’s disorder, but also with broader issues relating to environmental health, such as personal hygiene, and the patient’s home or community background. This enables a holistic approach to the care of Indigenous clients.
            Training is innovative and highly practical, and language is used in support of the actions. This empowers the students, even when they may have lower literacy or numeracy levels, to be confident when dealing with medical professionals.
This approach contextualises the training and ensures success for all students. For example, students with a very basic level of reading are able to learn medical terms and spell them correctly as long as they have visual contact with the issues they are dealing with. Also, all medicines are colour coded so trainee health workers learn the names in association with the colours.

Funding and Support

The health organisation prides itself on being able to run its health worker courses on a very low budget, though this is through necessity rather than desirability.
A major funding issue for the organisation is the fact that the health worker training course runs for 18-months, whereas government funding rounds operate on a financial and/or calendar year basis. The health organisation receives funding based on student intake at the beginning of each course year, despite the fact that there are additional students still completing from the previous year’s intake. As a result, funding is stretched.

Limited funding also impacts on this health organisation’s ability to advertise for more students. The organisation utilises a local Indigenous community radio service to advertise its course and encourages current students and training staff to ‘spread the word’ about Indigenous health issues and health worker training at local community events, such as football matches and social events.
Funding provided is inadequate to allow for long-term assistance for students with low literacy and numeracy levels, so this impacts upon the type of applicants that the organisation is able to accept into the course.

Tailored Training

This health organisation is rigorous in making certain that its students are people-oriented, a major factor for ensuring the students become successful health workers who enjoy their job.
Very occasionally, an applicant presents who has all of the necessary skills in relating to people and shows real promise in being able to work effectively in a team situation but needs assistance with, for example, literacy and/or numeracy. In such cases, the organisation endeavours to make special efforts to provide for them. For example, the student may attend training at the university or regional Indigenous training college, or may even receive private tuition. However, in general, the organisation is frustrated by lack of funding in this regard and in the majority of cases cannot offer support to applicants with low levels of literacy and numeracy.

Cultural Knowledge and Awareness

Another issue in literacy and numeracy training involves the key skill this organisation seeks in successful applicants – the ability to effectively communicate with Aboriginal people.
This involves the understanding of ‘Aboriginal English’, which varies semantically and syntactically in its production and its delivery from ‘Australian English’. The health client’s English may also be interspersed with words from different Aboriginal languages, so knowledge of cultural issues and regional dialects and languages is extremely useful for the Indigenous health worker.
Trained health workers not only listen to a person’s voice but use vital cues in a client’s appearance (eg. if their skin is flushed, sweating, or pale) and body language (eg. the way they are standing, talking, the expression in their eyes) to help inform them of the client’s specific situation and medical problem. The health worker then conveys this to the non-Indigenous doctor in terms he/she can understand, hence the vital role of health worker as ‘interpreter’ and mediator.
In order to successfully complete the health worker course, students must demonstrate cultural knowledge and awareness appropriate for communicating with Indigenous people in a sensitive and professional way.

Case Study 10            Registered training organisation (business-related)

Literacy and Numeracy Levels

The strategies needed to address literacy and numeracy issues are different in urban environments compared to remote bush settings. In remote communities, people are often learning English as their second, third or fourth language, and may have literacy and numeracy skills equivalent to just mid-primary or upper-primary levels.
Their level of functional literacy and numeracy is very different to people working in a power station, on a construction site or in an office environment. Yet, if they undertake, for example, Certificate III in General Construction, students need to be able to make accurate calculations, such as how many metres of concrete are required to pour into a slab. While difficult from an everyday language perspective, there is also a range of underpinning skills which must be learned. This presents a training challenge.

Student Support

Indigenous mentoring is one strategy used by this RTO to assist students with literacy and numeracy issues.
Other strategies are developed on a project by project basis. For example, the RTO is undertaking a project on behalf of an Indigenous Community Council in a remote community, and has developed a 3-5 year employment training strategy for the community. There is also a formal Memorandum of Understanding in place to assist the Council in progressing with the strategy. As part of that exercise, this RTO is assisting in the ‘roll out’ of an apprenticeship program in General Construction.
In order to achieve this, and to support the apprentices, a full-time literacy and numeracy lecturer has been employed in the community. This position and that of the builder/trainer is funded from a mix of recurrent funding sources including a remote Indigenous training college and NT DEET’s VET in Schools program.
This approach is reaping rewards, with more apprentices not only completing the qualifications, but obtaining ongoing employment and often deciding to study for higher-level qualifications.

Tailored Training

A key element in the RTO’s success with Indigenous apprentices and trainees is its focus on taking a holistic approach to each individual. Literacy and numeracy issues are viewed within the context of other crucial factors such as cross-cultural issues, hearing issues, the need for mentor support, etc. In short, an entire package of holistic approaches enables the student to progress through the apprenticeship pathway with a range of mentor support, mixed modes approaches, appropriate delivery and training etc, which provides the apprentices with excellent discipline in life-long learning and knowledge that can be applied directly to their work environment. Once they have these skills they can continue on to further study or successful careers.

Contextualised Literacy and Numeracy

The RTO provides apprentices with a range of contextualised learning opportunities, resulting in excellent discipline in life-long learning and knowledge that can be applied directly to their future work environment. With contextualised literacy and numeracy skills, successful apprentices can engage in further study or develop a career.

Case Study 11            Registered training organisation (industries-related)

Contextualised Literacy and Numeracy

Literacy and numeracy is learnt on-the-job in this program and is therefore contextualised within a realistic workplace environment. Training occurs self-paced in the classroom for two days per week and on-the-job for three days per week.

Case Study 12 Indigenous Employment Management Board

Literacy and Numeracy Levels

According to trainers delivering literacy and numeracy programs on a remote island community, “We’re into our third generation lost to reading and writing English. Non-Tiwi people having to be flown into the Islands to do basic business skills and measurement of housing for repairs etc.” (interviewee)

Program Outcomes

The government-funded Community Development Employment Program (CDEP), which supports work opportunities on remote communities and related workplace training, needs an “end point” in the opinion of one trainer delivering programs at this remote location. It is “not suitable as an ongoing venture” (interviewee) and should have specified long-term employment outcomes for training participants.

Contextualised Literacy and Numeracy

“We treat trainees and apprentices as if they are going to fulfil a position once they are trained.” (interviewee) Program delivery occurs within the remote community, incorporating appropriate cultural knowledge and language skills.

Student Health Concerns

Short life span is a serious issue for the Indigenous population in the Northern Territory. Health workers are “not coming through the training” (interviewee) and loss of students to early deaths is an unfortunate and adverse consequence of social and environmental factors in this remote community.

Trainers | Students | The program | Establishment | Issues | Innovative strategies | Future directions | What others think