WHY?
It is significant to understand why a VET institution needs inclusive learner engagement and why a process of self-assessment and enhancement is recommended for a VET institution.
First, learners are the focus of the inclusive learner engagement process. Here, the term “engagement” must be understood in a broad sense: learner engagement is not only about letting learners take part in formal institutional decision-making bodies, such as a learner representative council. Rather, accountability, transparency and accessibility should be at the base of all processes. This means informing learners and learner representatives of initiatives in a timely manner. This allows for learners to review, input and provide feedback rather than just being notified of changes that impact them greatly with no way nor space to put forward their needs and opinions. To truly include learners, these processes need to be followed up by official and tangible changes in the statutes, rules and practices of the VET institution. The more inclusive VET institutions become, the more learners feel listened to, understood, and recognized in line with their diverse needs, backgrounds and barriers that they encounter. When a VET institution creates space for learners to express themselves, to bring their whole selves’ to the school, this allows them to feel that they are valued, equal, and able to participate and contribute fully to the social, cultural, and academic life of both the school and their disciplines, so they start to feel more motivated to get involved in different activities. Embracing diversity within organizations enriches the school community each day, the learners feel more represented in the classroom and outside and thus bolstering their sense of belonging. In addition, an inclusive learner engagement process helps to eliminate early school leaving or drop-outs, irrespective of the underlying reasons.
Second, the success of learners is key for any VET institution and a high level of sense of belonging amongst learners fosters their success in time as it is not just beneficial for learners’ emotional well-being and personal growth, but also a key driver of their academic success. This, in turn, creates a more positive and supportive teaching environment for staff, further enhancing the learning experience for everyone. By prioritizing belonging and well-being for both learners and staff, institutions can create a synergistic environment that fosters collective success.
Third, a more inclusive VET institution means stronger communication between learners and the school. When learners feel more comfortable expressing their needs and addressing the challenges they face, both individual learner success and overall school achievement see significant growth in tandem.
At the institutional level, fostering positive public relations and projecting an inclusive external image of the institution are crucial aspects of accommodating learners from diverse backgrounds. VET institutions aim to attract learners, to promote themselves to families and learners to encourage them to join the institution. For example: a successful learner with a migration background would be more inclined to choose a VET institution that demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity of engagement for all learners with diverse needs. In addition to these external reasons, VET institutions aim to advance their internal community by fostering effective administrative and cultural communication among all internal actors and by creating spaces for engagement and participation through diverse practices, communities and activities.
Moreover, the vocational identity of learners generally holds significant importance for learners in VET. When learners perceive an alignment between their vocational identity and their place within the VET institution, particularly if their chosen profession is well-represented internally, it fosters a positive atmosphere conducive to their societal and professional life later on.
WHY
It is significant to understand why a VET institution needs inclusive learner engagement and why a process of self-assessment and enhancement is recommended for a VET institution.
First, learners are the focus of the inclusive learner engagement process. Here, the term “engagement” must be understood in a broad sense: learner engagement is not only about letting learners take part in formal institutional decision-making bodies, such as a learner representative council. Rather, accountability, transparency and accessibility should be at the base of all processes. This means informing learners and learner representatives of initiatives in a timely manner. This allows for learners to review, input and provide feedback rather than just being notified of changes that impact them greatly with no way nor space to put forward their needs and opinions. To truly include learners, these processes need to be followed up by official and tangible changes in the statutes, rules and practices of the VET institution. The more inclusive VET institutions become, the more learners feel listened to, understood, and recognized in line with their diverse needs, backgrounds and barriers that they encounter. When a VET institution creates space for learners to express themselves, to bring their whole selves’ to the school, this allows them to feel that they are valued, equal, and able to participate and contribute fully to the social, cultural, and academic life of both the school and their disciplines, so they start to feel more motivated to get involved in different activities. Embracing diversity within organizations enriches the school community each day, the learners feel more represented in the classroom and outside and thus bolstering their sense of belonging. In addition, an inclusive learner engagement process helps to eliminate early school leaving or drop-outs, irrespective of the underlying reasons.
Second, the success of learners is key for any VET institution and a high level of sense of belonging amongst learners fosters their success in time as it is not just beneficial for learners’ emotional well-being and personal growth, but also a key driver of their academic success. This, in turn, creates a more positive and supportive teaching environment for staff, further enhancing the learning experience for everyone. By prioritizing belonging and well-being for both learners and staff, institutions can create a synergistic environment that fosters collective success.
Third, a more inclusive VET institution means stronger communication between learners and the school. When learners feel more comfortable expressing their needs and addressing the challenges they face, both individual learner success and overall school achievement see significant growth in tandem.
At the institutional level, fostering positive public relations and projecting an inclusive external image of the institution are crucial aspects of accommodating learners from diverse backgrounds. VET institutions aim to attract learners, to promote themselves to families and learners to encourage them to join the institution. For example: a successful learner with a migration background would be more inclined to choose a VET institution that demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity of engagement for all learners with diverse needs. In addition to these external reasons, VET institutions aim to advance their internal community by fostering effective administrative and cultural communication among all internal actors and by creating spaces for engagement and participation through diverse practices, communities and activities.
Moreover, the vocational identity of learners generally holds significant importance for learners in VET. When learners perceive an alignment between their vocational identity and their place within the VET institution, particularly if their chosen profession is well-represented internally, it fosters a positive atmosphere conducive to their societal and professional life later on.
