Overview
New report calls for better targeted support for students of non-English speaking backgrounds who are entering the labour market.
The Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success (ACSES) has published a new report through its Small Grants Research Program:
Socio-economic backgrounds, choice of disciplines, and post-university labour market performance by Rong Zhu from Flinders University and Xioadong Gong from the University of Canberra.
The report examines the barriers that students from five socio-economic groups (non-English speaking background, Indigenous origin, low socio-economic status in childhood, father’s unemployment experience during childhood, and living in a single-parent family at age 14) may face when progressing through their career.
The study found that, among the five socio-economic groups analysed, graduates from non-English-speaking backgrounds faced the most significant labour market challenges. However, their choice of field of study helped mitigate some of these disadvantages. These results show a need for targeted support for individuals from non-English speaking backgrounds, who may face more disadvantages in the labour market than individuals from an English-speaking background.
