[Sub ID 4656] Action learning and training for VET students (SYC Ltd)

Submission ID: 4656
Organisation name: SYC Ltd
Contact name: Ms Sandy McAllister
State: SA
Contact email: smcallister@syc.net.au
Contact number: 0884058500

 Which priority group of the Try, Test and Learn Fund does your idea support?
Young students at risk of long-term unemployment

What need or issue are you trying to address?
Young VET students experience difficulty transitioning to work in their field of study, or simply completing study, when they lack skills to turn academic learning into relevant work capability.

NCVER data, and SYC’s training and employment services experience, indicates many young VET students lack employability and enterprise skills (eg digital literacy, problem solving) and their lack of exposure to real work limits job access. Many young students do not complete VET training due to unclear career goals and actions and a lack of resilience.

These underlying factors are supported by The Business Council of Australia, Australian Chamber of Commerce and employers consistently indicating that young people need to improve their employability through relevant work experience.

Employer demand for employees with enterprise skills is growing (OECD Skills Outlook 2015), particularly digital literacy, yet 27% of young people (15yrs) demonstrate low proficiency in digital literacy (The New Basics, FYA 2016).

Resilience is a primary factor predicting the attachment of young people to VET and subsequently to work. The development of grit, a core capability underpinning resilience, is a protective factor for young people to make successful transitions from VET to work (Grit: Perseverance and passion for long-term goals, A Duckworth 2007).

What is your idea?
SYC’s idea, Action Learning Works (ALW), will provide young VET students (18-25) with a six-month action learning service incorporating two learning sets to develop their digital literacy and resilience into a work-integrated learning project aligned to their field of training.

Each personal work-integrated learning project will enable a student to apply their academic learning, digital literacy and resilience skills simultaneously whilst gaining relevant experience of work, an understanding of the industry and businesses types where they aim to work and developing employer contacts. (National Strategy on WIL)

Digital Intelligence skills relevant to the industry or area of study will be developed through training and incorporated into student Projects.

Resilient Futures Training delivered by SYCs trained staff will help students understand how to develop grit capabilities in their approach to study, employment and self-care. These capabilities equip students to ‘stick with’ and complete their training and support them to transition to work, enhancing long term employability. (Resiliency Training, University of Pennsylvania)

Our action learning method has students reflect on their results from meaningful learning activities. A cycle of learning and reflection will be facilitated in small group and individual sessions to develop goals, monitor and evaluate progress, and develop new goals.