05-October-2006
Speeches, Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, Education and Training
“Cultures of Learning”
Perth
5 October 2006
CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
Acknowledgments
Peter Nelson
Of the Noongar tribe
Professor Denise Murray
Executive Director, AMEP Research Centre
Neil Fernandes
Managing Director, Central TAFE
Khin Myint
Singer
Other distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
Opening remarks
It’s a pleasure to open this 'Cultures of Learning' conference on behalf of the Adult Migrant English Program Research Centre.
I see teaching as a job that brings with it big responsibilities, often major stress levels, yet real satisfaction as you change lives.
Someone who understands this extremely well is Professor Denise Murray.
Professor Murray had a distinguished academic career in the US in the field of teaching English as a second language.
In 2006, Denise was awarded the James E. Alatis Award in recognition of outstanding and extended service to this field.
She has made a substantial contribution as head of the Adult Migrant English Program Research Centre and the National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research since 2000.
In recognition of Denise’s outstanding service to Macquarie University, she was awarded the title of Emeritus Professor in August 2006.
Professor Denise Murray, on behalf of the Australian Government I would like to record my appreciation for your contribution in this field over many years, and wish you a well-earned retirement.
Reflections
Today I would like to reflect briefly on the great contribution of migrant English programmes over many decades, as well as discuss some of the immediate challenges.
In the 60 years since the Second World War, Australia has run a hugely successful migration programme. As a nation, we have been very good at integrating people from over 200 countries around the globe.
From my assessment, we owe that success to three factors. The first is the clearly regulated immigration programme that we have had for 60 years – in contrast to our European counterparts, we have made decisions about who comes to Australia, when they come, how they come and what skills they bring.
The second important factor is our effective border control. Broad community support for a strong immigration programme depends critically on being able to control our borders.
And the third, and some would argue the most important contributor to successful integration, has been our longstanding tax-payer funded settlement programmes.
As a result, now more than 8.5 million first or second generation migrants are an integral part of our Australian family.
This number, of course, includes one of the three largest refugee resettlement programmes in the world, as part of an uninterrupted refugee intake since World War II. A record we can all take pride in.
In fact, on a per capita basis, Australia settles more off-shore refugees than any other country, including the US and Canada.
We also spend more on the settlement needs of each new migrant than either of those two countries.
In the mix of these settlement programmes, the longest running and most important programmes have been those involving the teaching of English to migrants.
The Adult Migrant English Program has a long and proud history commencing in the late 1940s with classes held on ships bringing migrants to Australia, as well as in the migrant hostels where many spent their initial weeks and months after arrival.
Over the decades since, programmes for the instruction of English have been revised, modified and added to, to reflect changing needs.
For example, Adult Migrant English Program funding increased from $2 million in 1970/71 to $18 million in 1978/79. Full-time courses, industry courses, the home tutor scheme, the training of teachers and the development of materials were all expanded.
In 1993 fees were introduced for business and skilled migrants and an “entitlement” to 510 hours of English tuition was legislated.
510 hours was determined, on professional advice, to be the average time taken for a non-English speaker to reach a ‘functional’ level of English.
In 1997, an additional 100 hours for refugee and humanitarian entrants was provided to mitigate pre-migration experiences of torture and trauma.
Similarly, in 2004, the special needs of refugee youth with low levels of literacy and education were recognised, with these young people getting up to 400 hours in the special preparatory programme, before commencing their 510 hours instruction.
As a result, this year the Government has made a provision of $153.7 million to meet the expected demand for the Adult Migrant English Program. Refugee and humanitarian entrants will be able to get up to 910 hours of free tuition and migrants up to 510 hours of tuition.
And despite what has been disingenuously asserted by my political opponents, the Government, since taking office in 1996, has ensured that no eligible migrant has been denied access to their English tuition entitlement.
Not one cent has been cut from the programme.
In fact, funding of the Adult Migrant English Program is now at levels more than double annual funding levels that prevailed throughout the 90s.
Of course, the Adult Migrant English Program is nowhere near the whole story.
From this first programme, others have also grown. For example, the English as a Second Language – New Arrivals programme was established in 1982 to assist with English language tuition for newly-arrived students in Australian schools.
Under this programme in the 2005 calendar year, $61.5 million was provided to State and Territory government and non-government education authorities to help provide intensive English language tuition under this programme. Funding is on per capita basis so figures for the current year are not yet available.
Add to this the Language Literacy and Numeracy Programme, which has operated in its current form since January 2002 when the former Literacy and Numeracy Training Programme and the Advanced English for Migrants Programme amongst others amalgamated.
This programme helps people improve their chances of getting and keeping a job, as well as making their everyday lives easier. Training is available to eligible people between 15 and 64 years who would like to improve their language literacy and numeracy skills.
Migrants are the significant beneficiaries of this programme.
This year $56 million will be spent on the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Programme.
Finally, the Workplace English Language and Literacy Programme originated in 1991 from the Australian Language and Literacy Policy.
This programme funds employers to assist with training which is essential for their workforce, and incorporates English language, literacy and numeracy.
This year over $14 million will be spent on this programme.
So, English language training for migrants, which had its humble beginnings in the hulls of ships in the 1940s, now involves a range of programmes– at school, in training and in the workplace - at a total cost this year of about $285 million.
The Challenges
As you can see, the history of English language training for migrants has been one of ever increasing flexibility to respond to the great diversity of need.
And while diversity is something you are used to, an even more diverse population is likely in the future.
The significant challenges faced by the rich countries of the world because of the rapid ageing of our populations, and the added pressure in Australia on skills shortages stemming from more than a decade of strong economic growth, will mean even more people migrating from non-traditional source countries.
In the current global environment, it’s not so much a matter of whether migration will occur – it will. Or whether it’s beneficial – it is. It becomes a question of how we best manage and support the significantly changing patterns of migration. How do we keep improving our ability to integrate people quickly and effectively?
The shifting nature of world trouble spots also means that people will be coming from places that have not been traditional humanitarian regions for Australia. World events have a huge impact on our refugee programme.
For example, the percentage of people resettled from Africa has risen from 31% of the total offshore programme in 2001-02, to around 70% in 2004-05, and it was 55% in 2005/06.
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that refugees arriving from Africa generally have greater settlement needs than many people who have previously arrived from other regions, reflecting the Africans’ very different pre-migration experiences and circumstances.
Some of the challenges they face in settling in Australia include lower levels of literacy and numeracy, unfamiliar health issues, longer periods spent in refugee camps, little experience of urban environments, higher rates of torture and trauma, higher levels of poverty and larger families. And added to that, many of them are separated from their families.
The settlement task has become fast changing, increasingly challenging.
You, and those before you, have been very successful at helping millions of new Australians acquire English language skills. You have done a wonderful job and I thank you.
But this will be a continuing challenge. Given the nature of our humanitartian programme, and the dynamic and emerging changes in migration patterns, the flexibility of our programmes in responding to the needs of different groups of migrants is critical.
The Response
The introduction of this wide range of English training programmes, and for that matter, the extensive range of other settlement services, has greatly assisted the need for flexibility. It has introduced more and more services, it has introduced more and more professional advice.
But, some in the sector are also telling me that it has encouraged the promotion of settlement programmes that are in many respects value free; programmes that are neutral in terms of what the community expects of new Australians.
If, in the end, many of these settlement programmes were to simply give people information about services and entitlements, without a framework of what the community expects of them, then we run the risk of fostering a mentality which works against these new arrivals, and does not support them in having a successful life in Australia.
We must seek to avoid at all costs giving these new Australians messages that they are disadvantaged, that they are part of the welfare class, not part of the employee or employer class. Such messages only foster a destructive victim mentality.
It should be about building an expectation, from the outset – even before people board the aircraft to Australia – that they are expected to quickly join the workforce, not rely on the welfare system.
The communication and implementation of all programmes, including English tuition, should persistently spell out the key milestones to having a successful life in Australia – a job, a workable level of English language skills, high retention rates in school, quick and regular interaction with other groups in the community through activities such as sport.
Such an approach engenders a sense of mutual obligation, it provides clear direction and helps establish positive priorities from the outset.
Without question, many new arrivals have suffered enormous difficulties, but I’ve observed in most of them very special qualities which are a direct result of their experiences – qualities which make them very marketable in the workplace soon after their arrival.
Qualities such as extraordinary resilience and motivation, enthusiasm and passion, a willingness to do jobs many Australian’s reject, and a keenness to learn.
From my discussions around the country, I have been attracted to ideas that settlement programmes, including English education, should be driven by, and tailored to, employer needs, with a strongly articulated motive of getting new arrivals quickly into a job.
The alternative is to see this motivation, enthusiasm and keenness to learn progressively, replaced by declining self esteem and a mentality increasingly focussed on holding on to benefits, rather than reaching out for the opportunities offered in Australia.
In this vein, some express concern to me that there is a growing sense of “take your time, take your time”. Sort out your problems before looking for a job. Also a sense that getting a job or going to English classes are mutually exclusive.
If this is so, then in many cases, I believe this to be poor advice. Getting a job quickly may at first be very confronting, but we all know from our life experience that getting on with life heals wounds, builds confidence and initiative, and in this case a job can be a great aid to mastering the English language.
These are real and important issues being raised with me, and they warrant debate and resolution.
Future Directions
In April this year, a committee of Australian Government agency heads began meeting to discuss ways to deal with the new challenges presented by those coming to Australia under the humanitarian programme.
The committee focused on broad areas of concern, particularly employment, education and health.
A number of important options are being considered to ensure the most effective delivery of settlement services across all levels of government.
Some of the matters I would like to highlight in a general sense, include a new education programme for 15 – 24 year olds, programmes for school-age refugees, recognising schools as a central point for new migrants, and helping people to get ready for work sooner through new language training options and support for employers.
New initiatives – 15 – 24 year olds
With regard to 15 to 24 year olds the Government is considering a new English language and orientation programme.
In 2005-06 a total of 14,144 visas were granted under Australia’s refugee and humanitarian programme. In the same period 41 per cent of people who settled in Australia under the program were aged 14 years or under, and a further 24 per cent were aged 15 to 24 years.
Under current arrangements, the younger members of this age group are eligible for the English as a Second Language New Arrivals programme – provided they attend school – while others can participate in the Adult Migrant English Program, and subsequently the Language Literacy and Numeracy Programme.
But this group really need something designed with them in mind.
They have particular needs, because of their age, their transition to adulthood, their level of literacy and English language skills and their turbulent life experience to date.
Either because of age or pre-migration experiences, it is not at all effective to place a 16 year old refugee in a very low level class at school, which might reflect his or her educational level.
Equally, it is not effective to require a 21 year old refugee to share an Adult Migrant English Program class with the over 60s, with whom he or she has nothing in common.
What is needed for this group is basic literacy and numeracy delivered at a greater level of intensity than that suitable to older adult learners; a course designed for young people about to start work, or in work.
English as a Second Language for New Arrivals
We are also investigating the need for increased investment in programmes for school-age refugees.
These kids often arrive in Australia with virtually no formal schooling and low literacy in their own language, having lived in a refugee camp for most of their lives.
It's critical that we find new ways to ensure that they get the best educational support they can.
Schools as Hubs
As part of this support, the Government recognises that schools are often focal points that could be used to link the delivery of services to migrants and their families – hub schools if you will.
Schools are often a point of first contact for young refugees and their families upon arrival.
We need to take services, like youth counselling, life education, family support, job pathways and so on, to schools with high refugee enrolments.
It's not so much creating something new here - several of these schools already exist. It's about all levels of government adequately supporting these schools. There is more we can do in co-operation with the states to support the great work some of these schools are doing.
Job readiness
With the Minister for Workforce Participation, Sharman Stone, I am also looking at the role the Adult Migrant English Program plays in preparing family stream and humanitarian migrants for work.
In the existing programme, there are modules which are focussed on employment, but we are looking to see if there are other ways that the programmes can help people start work earlier.
Currently, people studying under the Adult Migrant English Program are eligible for a 13 week exemption from requirements under Job Network which requires them to be actively seeking work.
About 80 per cent of people seek an extension of this period by a further 13 weeks. In some cases, three or four extensions are requested.
In such cases, a year or more can go by and then the wrong priorities may have taken hold, with unemployment and a welfare mentality often becoming entrenched.
With the tender next year, I intend to look if there are ways in which early entry into the workforce becomes a priority. No doubt it will involve incentives to build strong links between the Adult Migrant English Program providers, migrant resource centres and employers.
I am attracted to some appropriate version of the highly successful outcomes based funding model under Job Network.
Support for Employers
We also want to examine whether employers can be better supported to enable English language training to continue if they offer jobs to recent migrants.
Options such as traineeships would have the advantage of allowing people to work, but still have dedicated periods of time set aside for them to learn English. Employers would pay only for the hours spent on the job and there would be a real incentive for employees to complete language training to secure a permanent position.
The support of State and Territory Governments is vital and I look forward to working with my colleagues as we go forward.
Skilled humanitarian and family entrants
Of course, English is not the only barrier to early participation in work. Some of our humanitarian and family stream migrants are in fact highly skilled, but they lack networks in Australia to open doors into jobs in their areas of expertise. As one young African said to me recently, “we have no ancestors here”.
At a recent meeting, I was impressed with a pilot programme in Ontario, Canada, called Bridge to Work which aims to assist qualified migrants obtain work earlier in their field of expertise.
Since it began in 2003, the programme has helped over 6,000 skilled people to find work. At a cost of approximately $10,000 per person, the programme links qualified skilled individuals with work level language programmes and opportunities to demonstrate their skills in a workplace setting.
The programme provides information and support on professional accreditation and licensing for entry into specific professions. It offers work placements to learn about industry standards, terminology, regulations and by-laws and allows employers to benefit from the global experience that these skilled newcomers have to offer.
The Ontario Government provide loans of up to $5,000 to assist clients to cover the costs of training, assessment and exams and most of the bridging programmes are for people who want to re-certify in a specific regulated occupation.
This is something that is worth a closer look in the Australian context.
Conclusion
In conclusion, on behalf of the Government, and the broader community, I again thank you for the outstanding commitment and contribution you are making to the lives of so many new arrivals to Australia.
You can be justly proud of your efforts.
On that note, I am pleased to declare the Conference open, and I wish you a productive and challenging few days.
END