Win Madigan - WELS Transition Resources for older CALD students Contents of CD

Win Madigan - WELS The Victorian Education System The Straight Path and the Winding Path This powerpoint gives a simple and graphic outline of the Victorian Education System. The aim of the powerpoint is to help new arrivals and their families to understand that there is more than one way to succeed in the Australian education system and to encourage those who are viewing the powerpoint to have realistic expectations.

Win Madigan - WELS Victorian Education System – The Bridge This power point goes hand in hand with Number 1 above and shows in visual form how a ‘bridge’ is needed to take students from one step to the next on the educational pathway. The power point provides a lot of factual information about different ways of gaining qualifications and succeeding.

Win Madigan - WELS The Word of Work and Study and the need for a PLAN In this power point students are asked to consider 26 different jobs and decide whether they are good jobs or bad jobs. The aim of the power point is to show new arrivals and others the types of jobs and skills which Australia values and needs and to point out that it isnot always necessary to go to University in order to gain qualifications for these jobs.

Win Madigan - WELS So You Want to be a Doctor A power point which shows the reality of studying to be a doctor if you have disrupted schooling and a realistic guide to several alternative pathways which can lead to qualifications in different jobs in the field of HEALTH.

Win Madigan - WELS So You Want to be a Lawyer A powerpoint which shows the reality of studying to be a lawyer if you have disrupted schooling and a realistic guide to several alternative pathways which can lead to qualifications in different jobs in the field of LAW.

Win Madigan - WELS Your Child’s Education Things you can do at home A guide for parents about a number of things they can do at home to assist with their child/children’s education. (NB: This is done at a simple level and is suitable for both primary and secondary students).

Win Madigan - WELS Your Child’s Education – Things you can do at home. A guide for students about a number of things they can do at home to assist with their education. (NB: This is done at a simple level and is suitable for both primary and secondary students).

Win Madigan - WELS The Victorian School System The Straight Path and The Winding Path

Win Madigan - WELS Straight Winding Which of these lines is better – the straight one or the winding one?

Win Madigan - WELS Which road do you like better? The Straight RoadORThe Winding Road?

Win Madigan - WELS Education in Victoria has two main roads (Pathways) and The Winding Pathway The Straight Pathway

Win Madigan - WELS Education in Victoria – The Straight Pathway Life Begins

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Age 4 Kindergarten

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Ages 5 to 12 Primary School

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Ages 12 to 17 Secondary College/ High School

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Ages 17 to 21 University OR TAFE

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Good Job

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Good Life

Win Madigan - WELS We all want this pathway for ourselves and for our children but sometimes the winding pathway is better, sometimes, the winding pathway is and necessary.

Win Madigan - WELS Education in Victoria – The Winding Pathway Life Begins

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Age 4 Kindergarten Or maybe or Running to another country or War

Win Madigan - WELS Refugee Camp Or maybe Staying at home

Win Madigan - WELS Ages Primary School Or maybe still War or Running or Refugee Camp or Still at home or Having to work

Win Madigan - WELS Ages 12 to 17 Maybe Come to Australia And then? Language School Special Bridging Programs – e.g. Sunshine College Step-up Program High School / Secondary College TAFE Youth Programs Foundation VCAL (ESL) at Debney Park SC

Win Madigan - WELS Ages 17 to 20, 21, 22, 23 … TAFE University Degree Adult Education Courses Apprenticeships and Workplace Education or AMES YOUTH Program Technical and Further Education

Win Madigan - WELS ??????????? So many questions. So many choices. What is the best thing to do?

Win Madigan - WELS Discuss the best pathways for yourself or your children with teachers and others who understand the Victorian education system. My child is 17 but has missed a lot of school. What do you suggest? TAFE is probably better for your child. There are many very good courses at TAFE for students who are 16, 17or 18 and have missed out on a lot of schooling.

Win Madigan - WELS Be Realistic Choose courses and pathways which will bring success. Don’t waste time with unrealistic pathways. If you do this, you or your child will only jump from one course of study to another and waste a lot of time.. Listen to teachers and others who know the Victorian education system. They will give you good advice. Realistic Choices

Win Madigan - WELS Good Job

Win Madigan - WELS Good Life

Win Madigan - WELS The path of life is never straight for anyone. The best pathway in education is the one which starts from where YOU are NOW and leads you to somewhere BETTER. The best pathway for you or your child may be different from that of someone born in Australia. The best pathway for you or your child may also be different from the pathway of other members of your community. HOWEVER, the most important thing is reaching your destination successfully: and maybe the Winding Pathway will help you achieve this.

Win Madigan - WELS Current Opportunities in Some of the Alternative Pathways for CALD Students

Win Madigan - WELS Foundation (ESL) VCAL at Debney Park Secondary College (in Flemington) INFORMATION:- tailors VCAL courses to the needs of new arrivals with disrupted schooling CURRENT SITUATION: Only enrolling at the beginning of the year. Therefore, not available to students exiting at mid-year or end of terms one and three.

Win Madigan - WELS Victoria University YouthTransitions INFORMATION: Youth ESL Access Program for students from 16 to 19. Foundation VCAL is offered in this program at the Nicholson Street Footscray Campus as well as Certificates 1, 2, 3 and 4 in ESL Access English, thus giving students pathways into other TAFE programs. CURRENT SITUATION:- Not enrolling students once Government Funding has been used. WELS and Brunswick ELC had 20 students to exit there at the start of term 3 this year. None were offered places.

Win Madigan - WELS YAMEC (Young Adult Migrant Education Certificate) Part of NMIT Northern Metropolitan Institute of TAFE Information:- Offers Certificates 1,2,3&4 in English (ESL) as well as Foundation VCAL, YAMEC caters specifically for those with disrupted schooling or other new arrivals whose English needs to be brought up to speed so that they can access appropriate courses. CURRENT SITUATION:- Will take students at any time if places are available. For those of us in the West, it is a little far, but, at the moment just about the only suitable option.

Win Madigan - WELS AMES Youth Programs INFORMATION;- Footscray, St Albans and Werribee all run Youth Programs for students who need more support with their English. Students get assistance re future pathways while doing the program. CURRENT SITUATION;- AMES will enrol at any time if the student is eligible. Those on 457 visas, temporary long stay and some other visa categories are not eligible.If there is more than one youth class running, it tends to suit student needs better. It is also important to be aware that the students themselves do not always like this option, because they still feel they are in an adult environment.

Win Madigan - WELS LLNP Language Literacy and Numeracy Program INFORMATION:- This program is now run by JPET (Job Placement, Employment and Training Program) and accessed through Cenrelink. Therefore, the student will need a Job Seeker ID. CURRENT SITUATION:- I don’t refer students here mainly because it seems a bit too close to the work force for them and they are not ready to access this at the moment.

Win Madigan - WELS SPIRIT WEST SERVICES (Footscray) Information:- Offer VCAL and CEGA (Certificate in General Education Attainment) for students struggling in mainstream settings. CURRENT SITUATION:- Spirit West Services do a lot of very good work with schools in the West. Their current education programs cater mainly for the disengaged. They do not have ESL students in their programs at the moment. However, Spirit West Services are forward looking and open in their thinking and it is worth trying to form partnerships with them in order to better meet the needs of ENGAGED CALD students.

Win Madigan - WELS River Nile Learning Centre Footscray INFORMATION:- The River Nile Learning Centre is designed to provide an alternative bridging program for students from Sudan and the Horn of Africa who have experienced severely disrupted schooling. CURRENT SITUATION:- Currently River Nile is catering well for a group of young girls, many of whom have young children and cannot access other educational venues.

Win Madigan - WELS TOTEM PROJECT Footscray The Totem program supports disconnected young people aged 15 – 19 to re-engage with education and training. The focus is on the young person’s individual learning needs, personal development and vocational aspirations. CURRENT SITUATION:- Currently enrolling for this semester and have a few places left. Although this course is suitable for one or two of our students who have ‘fallen through the net’ and are now disengaged, the majority of students I try to place and engaged and interested in becoming better educated. They simply need courses which are at THEIR level.

Win Madigan - WELS Finally If you are in a mainstream school with quite a few students from CALD backgrounds, is it possible to introduce a Foundation (ESL) VCAL course or CEGA course at Year 10? Many students really want the mainstream option, but can’t cope with the work requirements of Year 10 and VCE. With some of the alternatives drying up (e.g. Victoria University’s Youth Pathways) it would be good if Secondary Schools could offer alternatives to this very worthy group of students.