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ENGAGE December 2017Issue 2
/ Education and scholarships/ Development programs/ Student mobility/ International volunteering
Year in Review 2016-17
Issue 2, December 2017
14
Development programs
6
Education and scholarships
5Enabling people to positively change their world
22Student mobility
24
International volunteering
26
Where we worked in 2016-17
4
Welcome from our Chair and CEO
Contents
Engage is Scope Global’s biannual publication. It showcases how we work in partnership with our clients, global institutions, individuals and communities to enable people to positively change their world.
Cover photo: Australian volunteer Si Qi Wen with her colleagues at Apia market, Samoa.
Photo top left: Australian volunteer Anthony Portman with his colleagues at Ramakrishna Mission, Fiji.
Photo top right: Australia Awards scholar Chandana Wijekoon at the University of Adelaide.
Photo bottom right: Student mobility participants on guided tour of Little India, Singapore.
Year in Review 2016-17
4 5ENGAGE Issue 2, December 2017
Welcome from our Chair and CEO
Welcome to the second edition of Scope Global’s Engage magazine. This edition takes the form of a year in review, providing a snapshot of Scope Global and the programs and initiatives we delivered in 2016–17.
With revenue exceeding $54 million, more than 375 personnel engaged across over 50 countries and a broad mix of clients, Scope Global is a proudly South Australian business that is successfully competing in challenging and competitive markets.
This year a growing focus was connecting with our local community and pursuing new opportunities to contribute to South Australia’s social and economic development, together with that of our wider region.
At Scope Global we passionately support inclusion measures across all of the international development and education programs we deliver. This year we worked hard to remove barriers that stop equal participation by working with people with disabilities in programs such as Australia Awards South and West Asia (page 8) and Australian Volunteers for International Development (page 24).
We are preparing to launch a brand new service offering that will reduce barriers to equal participation for people with disabilities and support businesses to be more inclusive.
In March, Stephen Baker commenced as Chairperson of Scope Global’s Board, bringing a breadth of experience and knowledge that complements Scope Global’s work in Australia and our region. Stephen succeeds Dr David Cruickshanks-Boyd, who served on our Board from 2009 to 2017. We thank David for his many years of service.
We were thrilled to secure two new contracts in our Development Programs portfolio: Tonga Skills and Sri Lanka Skills for Inclusive Growth.
Both initiatives contribute to the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s priority to promote ‘skills for prosperity’ by working within local systems to enable disadvantaged men and women to become skilled workers, producers and entrepreneurs.
We successfully tendered for the Kiribati Facility, the third phase of the Australian Government’s skills development and employment program in Kiribati that works toward developing a more capable, qualified and mobile I-Kiribati workforce.
We also secured a further term providing support services to the Australia Awards-Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships program on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Education and Training. This coincided with our 10-year anniversary of providing support for Endeavour, making it one of the longest-running programs we are implementing.
Australian Government international volunteering programs have played an important role in shaping Scope Global’s focus and ethos over the past 17 years, It has been an immense pleasure to support volunteers, host organisations and a plethora of partner organisations to contribute to development impacts around the world through international volunteering since 2000.
Enjoy this special edition of Engage. We’re proud of the work we do to enable people both near and far to positively change their world and it’s our pleasure to share this snapshot of 2016–17 with you.
Stephen Baker
Board Chairperson
Christine Molitor
Chief Executive Officer
Enabling people to positively change their world
Scope Global delivers international development and education programs throughout Australia, Asia and the Pacific. We consider ourselves to be agents of change. We enable people to positively change their world by facilitating international study, research, professional development and volunteering, and partner with governments and communities to improve people’s lives.
Everything we do is inspired by our vision to enable people to positively change their world.
Our peopleFrom our headquarters in Adelaide, South Australia to our office locations throughout Asia and the Pacific, we engage more than 375 personnel who have a diverse range of backgrounds and specialist expertise.
We are resilient, positive and driven by our vision to enable people to make a positive contribution locally, in Australia and in our region.
Social impactScope Global is committed to contributing to sustainable development and strengthening the economic, social and environmental conditions in the regions where we operate.
This year we became a member of the United Nations Global Compact and the Shared Value Project.
Our work and business processes have contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially:
MORE THAN
375 PERSONNEL
INCLUDING
87
EMPLOYEES BASED IN ADELAIDE
65% OF OUR MANAGERS
ARE FEMALE
OUR BOARD: 50% MALE
50% FEMALE
INCLUSIVE, DYNAMIC,
CULTURALLY DIVERSE
REVENUE EXCEEDING
$54
MILLION
6 7Issue 2, December 2017ENGAGE
In 2016–17, Scope Global supported approximately 2000 scholarship recipients in 38 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Pacific, North America, South America and Australia. Through the New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program, Scope Global managed 219 scholars across 18 countries and received consistently positive feedback from scholars about the case management support we provided to them.
This was a significant year for our involvement in the Australia-Awards Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships program. It not only marked our 10th anniversary of providing support services to Endeavour scholarship recipients – we also secured the tender to continue delivering this flagship Australian Government initiative.
Over 10 years we have supported thousands of Australian and international Endeavour recipients to gain new skills and cultivate global awareness through completing international study, research or professional development placements.
During the year our scope of services under the Defence Cooperation Scholarship Program expanded, and we secured the tender to continue providing in-Australia support services to Australia Awards Papua New Guinea scholarship awardees.
Scope Global also continued to provide exemplary support to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Australia Awards South and West Asia program, managing a sharp increase in the number of new scholarships in the 2017 intake, expanding short course offerings, and continuing to engage and mobilise the alumni network across all seven participating countries in the South and West Asia region.
The New Colombo Plan is a signature initiative of the Australian Government that aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the region.
Scope Global manages the New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program, which provides opportunities for Australian undergraduate students to undertake semester-based study and internships or mentorships in participating Indo-Pacific locations. We provide support to scholars before and during their semester-based study, internships or mentorships.
This year, we managed 219 new and existing scholars across 18 countries spanning from Sri Lanka and India to South Korea, Japan and Fiji.
Scholars consistently rated Scope Global’s support services highly: 88% rated the overall quality of support services provided by their Scope Global case manager as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, and 92% were completely or very satisfied with the pre-departure assistance they received.
Education and scholarships
Scholar feedback
“My case manager was an incredible support. Through visa disasters and a scholarship program that spiralled from a six month exchange to nearly 18 months of study and internships, my case manager was knowledgeable, professional, enabling, helpful and kind. She made even the most stressful situations seem manageable, and I feel more capable of facing whatever challenges are to come because of my case manager’s guidance over the past year.”
“Scope Global’s support has been reliable throughout my NCP experience, which has included several cyclones, visa problems, last-minute changes of plan and a complete transformation of my scholarship program over the course of a year. I’m staying in the Pacific after my scholarship ends, to continue working with my internship host, and I can’t imagine things any other way.”
New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program
NEW SCHOLARS’
PRIMARY HOST
LOCATIONS 2016-17
14 CHINA
18 INDONESIA
21 SINGAPORE
16 JAPAN
2 INDIA
2 NEPAL
9 MALAYSIA
6 THAILAND
5 FIJI
2 CAMBODIA
2 VIETNAM2 PHILIPPINES
2 MYANMAR
1 SRI LANKA
1 PAPUA NEW GUINEA
11 SOUTH KOREA
13 HONG KONG2 TAIWAN
Scope Global delivers scholarships management and support services with a highly collaborative, personalised approach. Our team takes pride in supporting students and institutions to achieve successful research, study and training experiences in Australia and throughout the world.
8 9Issue 2, December 2017ENGAGE | Education and scholarships
Scholarships In 2016, all 199 completing awardees successfully obtained their Australian degree. Program staff managed a four-fold increase in the number of new scholarships for Intake 2017 over the previous year.
Short coursesThis year eight short courses were delivered featuring a range of delivery approaches: wholly in-Australia, wholly in-country, and a combination of online, in-country and in-Australia modes. Short courses were designed through strong collaboration with DFAT Posts and partner government agencies.
Alumni engagementIn November 2016, 42 Australia Awards alumni from all seven participating countries came together in Kathmandu for the Regional Alumni Workshop, ‘Education for All’. They shared their experience of inclusive education practices, expanded regional linkages, and built a community of practice on inclusive education.
The Australia Awards in South and West Asia Women in Leadership Network has opened a dialogue on advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment across the region. National chapters were established in Bangladesh and Pakistan, with events held to celebrate women and leadership.
Australia Awards on-award scholar Mr Chandana Wijekoon is studying a Master of Education at the University of Adelaide, Australia.
Tell us about your background
I have worked at the Mahaweli National College of Education in Kandy, which trains language teachers, for more than five years. I’ve had polio since I was 1 year old. I’ve never been outside of Sri Lanka before this.
Why did you apply for an Australia Awards scholarship?
I wanted to extend my knowledge of technology in education. It took me two to three years to find the right course and university to study at.
What is your experience of living and studying in Australia compared to Sri Lanka?
I moved to Australia with my family: my wife, my 9-year-old son and my 3-year-old daughter. There is a big Sri Lankan community living in Adelaide, which helped us to settle into the city. My family found it easier than me to adapt the Australian lifestyle.
Facilities for people with disability are more available in Australia. There are special seats reserved at the front of the bus – in Sri Lanka it is difficult to travel on public transport. Accessing buildings is easy as there are lifts everywhere as an alternative to stairs.
I find it easy to study here. In Australia the focus is on feedback during learning and self-learning.
How will you contribute to your country’s development on your return?
When I go home I would like to update the methods used for teacher training in two ways. The first is enhancing teachers’ learning methods, such as using self-learning techniques like online learning and DVDs. The second is greater use of devices – I am planning to create a model class to trial the teachers’ learning methods and the new devices.
Australia Awards South and West Asia
Scholar profile: Chandana Wijekoom
99%
HAD A POSITIVE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
OF AUSTRALIA
88%
FELT THAT THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
HAD IMPROVED AS A RESULT OF THE COURSE
100%
WERE SATISFIED WITH THEIR
COURSE
PARTICIPANTS’ SHORT COURSE EXPERIENCES
Australia Awards South and West Asia provides scholarships and short-term training opportunities in Australia and in our region.
In doing so, the program invests in building the skills and knowledge of individuals so they can deliver positive forms of development contributions after returning to their home countries.
Scope Global manages Australia Awards South and West Asia for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
10 11Issue 2, December 2017ENGAGE | Education and scholarships
The Defence Cooperation Scholarship Program provides postgraduate coursework study opportunities in Australia for defence personnel from 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
The program aims to provide future defence leaders with the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills to meet their potential, to help build a network of relationships between Australian and regional defence and security organisations, and to directly support the development of regional defence capabilities. Scope Global has successfully managed this program since 2009.
This year our scope of services under the program expanded. We now manage university admission to other Defence-sponsored programs, meaning our footprint under the program now covers 29 countries.
Throughout the financial year we managed up to 113 personnel, including scholarship recipients on award in Australia, and candidates who were preparing to begin their studies the following year.
Australia Awards-Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships
Defence Cooperation Scholarship Program
Some of the DCSP 2017 cohort at the Australian War Memorial during the DCSP Seminar in Canberra.
100%OF STUDENTS WHO
COMMENCED IN
2016
WILL COMPLETE THEIR
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
SUPPORTED STUDENTS FROM
15COUNTRIES
TO STUDY IN AUSTRALIA
EXPANSIONOF OUR SCOPE
OF SERVICES
The Australia Awards-Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships aim to develop ongoing educational, research and professional linkages between individuals, organisations and countries and to increase the skills and global awareness of high achieving individuals from Australia and overseas.
For more than 10 years, Scope Global has successfully prepared and supported Australian and international recipients to undertake and complete their program.
In 2016–17 Scope Global managed 1139 Endeavour scholarship recipients during their scholarship program. Recipients came from 63 countries to undertake their study in Australia, and Australians travelled to 32 countries to do the same.
Our team engaged recipients and alumni at 12 networking events at universities around Australia, and through dedicated and individualised case management before, during and after recipients’ scholarship programs.
Endeavour recipients undertake programs that range from short-term professional development and research courses through to postgraduate-level courses.
1139
ENDEAVOURRECIPIENTS
SUPPORTED ONPROGRAM
RECIPIENTS FROM
63COUNTRIES
SUPPORTED IN AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIAN RECIPIENTS
SUPPORTED IN
32COUNTRIES
67NATIONALITIES REPRESENTED
10 YEARSOF SUPPORT
Jesse Barker Gale is an Australian Endeavour scholarship recipient who is in Washington DC working towards his PhD at Flinders University. Jesse’s PhD program analyses the trilateral Australia-Japan-United States relationship through the theoretical matrix of a security community.
Jesse completed his Endeavour study component at Georgetown University in Washington DC and in the office of Congressman Jim McDermott, the Democratic representative of the 7th Congressional District of Washington State.
In 2017 Congressman McDermott visited Flinders University for 6 weeks – largely facilitated by Jesse – where he shared his knowledge in classes at Flinders’ Centre for United States and Asia Policy Studies.
Scholar profile: Jesse Barker Gale
Congressman McDermott is quoted as saying he puts Jesse among his top three interns in more than the 400 he has had during his term in Congress.
After finishing his study component at Georgetown University, Jesse has gone on to do a one-year internship at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a defence and national security think tank in Washington DC. In his role he assists the Alliances and American Leadership Project, which focuses on the role of alliances in maintaining international order, the concept of ‘the West’ and the part of alliances in upholding it.
Endeavour recipients at a networking event in Melbourne.
12 13Issue 2, December 2017ENGAGE | Education and scholarships
In 2017 Australia Awards scholarship awardee Benson Hahambu and his Australian study partner, Stephanie Matulin, were awarded a national development prize for their paper ‘Papua New Guinea Education Network for Disaster Risk Reduction’.
The pair entered their work in the 2017 Research for Development Impact Network Conference. They were one of only five pairs from across Australia to be shortlisted for consideration at the national conference, and went on to win a Mitchell Humanitarian Award.
The Murdoch University students sought to address low knowledge levels about disaster risk reduction strategies and systems in rural Papua New Guinea through providing targeted training to existing and future teachers.
Their rationale was that by educating teachers, school children in rural areas would also receive essential knowledge about disaster risk reduction to use throughout their lives and share throughout their communities.
Benson and Stephanie received financial support to help them implement their idea. They’ll report back on their progress in 12 months’ time.
Awardee profile: Benson Hahambu
Australia Awards Papua New Guinea In-Australia Support Services
Australia-Malaysia ‘Towards 2020’ Scholarships Program
Photo: (L-R) Stephanie Matulin, Benson Hahambu and Mitchell Humanitarian Award recipient Robyn Alders (University of Sydney).
This program assists Malaysian undergraduate students to study at Australian universities located in Malaysia, and Malaysian civil servants to pursue research and professional development opportunities in Australia.
The ‘Towards 2020’ Scholarships Program is funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to support Malaysia’s economic reform agenda.
405 AWARDEES SUPPORTED
52% FEMALES
130 AWARDEES ATTENDED
REINTEGRATION WORKSHOPS
30AWARDEES
WITH A DISABILITY ON SCHOLARSHIP
Australia Awards Papua New Guinea provides long-term scholarships for Papua New Guineans to study in Australia, and access to ongoing professional development opportunities through alumni networks.
Scope Global manages the In-Australia Support component of the program. It aims to increase the number of awardees who achieve their qualification and graduate on schedule, and to ensure awardees are well prepared to achieve their reintegration plans after they return to Papua New Guinea.
Scope Global is contracted by Coffey International Development to manage this component of the program and during the year, our contract was renewed until June 2019.
This year the team supported 405 awardees across 39 host institutions. They co-delivered a pre-departure program in Papua New Guinea, and ran four reintegration workshops in Melbourne and Brisbane for 130 awardees who were about to complete their scholarship.
In 2017–18 the team will run short workshops for new awardees shortly after they arrive in Australia – a new initiative. This will give an opportunity to review themes delivered at the pre-departure program and continue to build rapport between awardees and case managers.
39HOST
INSTITUTIONS
In 2016–17, Scope Global supported eight award holders: five who were studying in Malaysia, and three who studied in Malaysia. Award holders completed undergraduate, executive and research placements.
14 15Issue 2, December 2017ENGAGE
It builds on Scope Global’s work implementing the first two phases of the initiative.
These new activities build on our long-running support to the Asian Development Bank in implementing JobStart Philippines, which identifies employment opportunities for at-risk youth, and Scope Global’s long history delivering programs and initiatives in the areas of skills development, skills for employment and technical and vocational education and training.
Adviser mobilisation and capacity developmentScope Global also continued its capacity development initiatives with partner governments, including support for Pacific island governments through the Pacific Technical Assistance Mechanism (PACTAM2).
Building on evidence gained through mobilisation of technical expertise, the program commissioned an evaluation of successful capacity development approaches, which has provided unique insights into how the work of advisers can support partnerships between Pacific island governments and the Australian aid program.
Skills for employment and growth
Two new skills programs – Tonga Skills and Sri Lanka Skills for Inclusive Growth – demonstrate practical examples of DFAT’s ‘skills for prosperity’ agenda, which emphasises flexible learning pathways to enable men and women, especially the poorest, to benefit from market-oriented training.
These programs ‘think politically and work differently’ with particular regard to the importance of building local teams, creating an authorising environment for local decision making, and working strategically within the political context to incentivise and catalyse collaboration and authentic reform.
With both projects commencing in late 2016, the focus for this year was establishing and supporting our locally led teams. And with a commitment to evidence based programming and decision making, the teams worked hard to collate extensive data on labour markets and skills opportunities that are relevant in the local context.
In Kiribati, Scope Global completed the Kiribati TVET Skills Strengthening Program and started implementing the Kiribati Facility, including the Skills for Employment Program.
The Skills for Employment Program is the third phase in the Australian Government’s investment in skills development and employment in Kiribati that aims to develop a more capable, qualified and mobile I-Kiribati workforce.
Development programs2016–17 saw the expansion of Scope Global’s Development Programs portfolio, particularly our support for Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade funded skills for growth programs.
PACTAM2 recruits highly skilled technical advisers to assist in capacity building with Pacific island partner governments to address skills gaps. In 2016–17 Scope Global supported 62 advisers in placements across 9 countries.
PACTAM advisers work towards achieving strategic goals that have flow-on benefits for whole communities, such as supporting better access to education and health services. Adviser placements are aligned with Aid Investment Plans between the Australian Government and partner governments.
A key focus is contributing to sustainable outcomes through supporting partner governments to own adviser inputs.
As a result, partner governments are involved in all aspects of adviser recruitment and performance management. In 2016–17 partner governments were engaged and present in all interviews for new advisers, with 100% participation and involvement in adviser performance assessment meetings.
Also this year, findings from a formative assessment on capacity building were integrated into the adviser framework and operating procedures to support sustainable partnerships between Pacific island governments and the Australian aid program.
Adviser inputs – highlights 2016-17• In Nauru, two advisers supported
the smooth introduction of the domestic tax system for both personal and business tax. As a result, Nauru was awarded the Pacific Financial Technical Assistance Centre/International Monetary Fund Revenue Administration Policy and Administration Reforms Award.
• A climate change adviser in Kiribati secured international funding to set up a national climate change unit to address the impact of rising sea levels.
Pacific Technical Assistance Mechanism Phase 2 (PACTAM2)
SUPPORTED
62ADVISERS ACROSS
9 PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES
SUPPORTING SUSTAINABLE OUTCOMES
THROUGH PARTNER GOVERNMENT ENGAGEMENT
Adviser Julie Bowen with the Chief Medical Officer, Public Health at the Ministry of Health in Tonga.
16 17Issue 2, December 2017ENGAGE | Development programs
Case studies: JobStart Philippines graduates
Maria Kristina Quirimit Accounting Department, Systems Variable
“My life before joining the program, well, I am a single mother. I got pregnant when I was 18 years old, but my family has always been there to support me.
It’s been really hard for me to cope with the situation but my family, especially my parents, taught me to look at the brighter side and that my baby is a blessing to me. That my baby will serve as my inspiration to have a good life.
At the start it was hard but because of the encouragement and my dedication to have a better future, I succeeded.
I feel very thankful to the JobStart program because it helped me to improve my skills even if I have a hearing impairment. They accepted me and they believed that I could work in the future, just like other people.”
Janine Florendo Receptionist, Systems Variable
“I was looking for jobs that I could apply for. But it was difficult and I wasn’t hired immediately. They’d tell me to come back when the schedule was good already.
I knew about JobStart through a job fair. People from the city hall were trying to get me to join because it could help me land a job. I might be lucky, they said.
JobStart helped me in areas where I was lacking. I had to improve my English – they helped me with that. The training program really helped me to boost my confidence and learn how to carry myself around people.
I’ve been here in Systems Variable for 2 years. I’m proud that I have gotten this job. JobStart will help you do things you thought impossible. It will show you what you can do, they will show you ways to get the job you’ve always dreamed of.”
Photo: JobStart Philippines graduate Maria Kristina Quirimit
JobStart Philippines is an employment facilitation program targeting unemployed, at-risk Filipino youth, led by the Government of Philippines Department of Labor and Employment with support and financing from the Asian Development Bank and Government of Canada, and implementation support from Scope Global.
The program equips participants to access labour markets and builds the capacity of the Philippine Government to expand employment services and engage with the private sector. The program also supports implementation of the JobStart Philippines Act, enacted by the Government of Philippines in June 2016.
JobStart Philippines
JobStart Philippines implements an employment facilitation full cycle framework to support Public Employment Services Offices to train young people for employability and match participants with opportunities for internships.
With the Asian Development Bank successfully securing additional funding for JobStart, 2016–17 saw Scope Global support the national rollout and expansion of the program, including the establishment of regional program offices in Mindanao and Visayas.
JobStart Philippines graduate Janine Florendo
18 19Issue 2, December 2017ENGAGE | Development programs
Tonga Skills works as a catalyst for systemic reform within the national Tongan skills system.
Building on lessons learnt from previous TVET investments in Tonga and the wider region, this program takes a different approach by prioritising local leadership, thinking and working sensitively within the cultural and political context, and assuming the role of a ‘broker’ to bring together key stakeholders and agencies for locally owned change.
Tonga Skills supports inclusive economic growth, specifically through strengthening the national skills system in Tonga to achieve this within a sustainable framework. Working in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Tonga
National Qualification and Accreditation Board, the program has established a dedicated Skills Development Fund that finances targeted skills training by local providers to facilitate business productivity and employment opportunities within the formal and informal sectors.
Implementation and decision making takes place in collaboration with partners from government, the private sector and civil society, at central and island levels.
The program also targets groups who are often marginalised from the formal economy, and activities are designed to support women, people with disabilities or those who are geographically isolated to access skill development opportunities.
Tonga Skills began in late October 2016 and has made a strong start: at the end of the financial year we had a fully operational team in place, led by a local team leader, and had completed mapping of priority economic opportunities across all island groups. Informed by this evidence base, the program commenced three pilot activities that supported Tongan skills providers to innovate their training delivery to maximise local private sector growth. These included a readiness for work program, a pearl carving skills program, and a whale watching swim guide and skipper training.
This Asian Development Bank-financed technical assistance project supported the Royal Government of Bhutan to plan for higher quality, relevant technical and vocational education and training (TVET) throughout Bhutan’s public, private and community sectors.
Under the project, Scope Global coordinated international and national experts from a range of disciplines to provide individual yet interconnected technical assistance.
Scope Global successfully completed this short project in September 2016. It was very well received by the Bhutanese
Tonga Skills
Bhutan Institutional Strengthening for Skills Development
Ministry of Labor and Human Resources and was successful in achieving the two key project outputs:
1. Developing a blueprint for TVET
2. Planning and piloting professional development measures to improve the quality and relevance of TVET.
The following program outcomes were also achieved: providing professional development training to 50 counsellors and job placement officers, finalising a communication and advocacy strategy to promote TVET, and completing and publishing a financial assessment of TVET.
The Sri Lanka Skills for Inclusive Growth program, funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, responds to the Australian Government’s ‘economic opportunities for the poor’ priority by supporting inclusive and sustainable growth in the eastern and north eastern provinces of Sri Lanka.
Specifically, the program seeks to address the lack of access to quality skills development services linked to economic opportunities that have been identified in the tourism sector value chain in these areas.
Sri Lanka Skills for Inclusive Growth
As with Tonga Skills, the program commenced in the late 2016. With a full team in place and offices in each of the program districts, the focus of activities for this year was establishing skills sector coordination mechanisms and building a strong evidence base to inform the design of project activities.
Several studies, surveys and mapping exercises have been completed during the preparation and inception phase to examine features of the labour market and key skills supply systems across the tourism and hospitality value chains.
The Hon Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sri Lankan Minister for Skills Development and Vocational Training, Mr Bryce Hutchesson, Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Mr Nazeer, Chief Minister Eastern Region celebrating the launch of Skills for Inclusive Growth with staff and key delegates.
Members of the Tonga Skills team.
20 21Issue 2, December 2017ENGAGE | Development programs
The Skills for Employment Program, a component of the Kiribati Facility, is the third phase of the Australian Government’s skills development and employment support to Kiribati, and the next step in strengthening the Kiribati Institute of Technology.
It has been designed to address the limited paid employment opportunities for I-Kiribati at home, regionally and internationally. The program’s overall goal is to develop a more capable, qualified and mobile I-Kiribati workforce.
Scope Global was appointed to manage the Kiribati Facility in September 2016, building on our previous work in delivering the first two phases of the Australian Government’s TVET Sector Strengthening Program from 2011 to 2016.
Kiribati Facility Skills for Employment Program Flexible Support Facility
Preparing I-Kiribati for overseas employment
Pre-departure training continues to be an important course delivered through the Kiribati Institute of Technology to prepare I-Kiribati for overseas employment.
The training is continually reviewed in response to feedback and as a result, it now has a greater emphasis on supporting candidates to manage their personal finances, support their family, read payslips and understand culture.
Through pre-departure training, candidates are supported to develop their English language skills to ensure they can meet employers’ minimum standards and respond confidently in interviews.
In 2016–17, clear progress was made on making the Kiribati Institute of Technology more inclusive to groups disadvantaged by geography, disability or gender, and the institute developed and piloted three courses:
1. Construction for the hearing impaired pilot (15 participants, including 4 females)
2. Introduction to computers and keyboards for sight impaired (6 participants, including 3 females)
3. A plumbing course on the outer islands (34 participants, including 6 females).
In 2016, 223 graduates were awarded certificates, with 36% of those female.
The Employment Support Service plays a pivotal role by supporting graduates to be more employable in Kiribati and overseas.
The service’s preparatory short courses were rapidly expanded in the first half of 2017 to include a greater focus on English language, including a pilot Hospitality English course designed for candidates preparing for opportunities at Hamilton and Hayman islands.
Candidates for overseas employment at a pre-departure briefing.
Kiribati Institute of Technology business students.
A plumbing lecturer with students in the workshop at the Kiribati
Institute of Technology.
22 23ENGAGE Issue 2, December 2017
Student mobilityPACE internationalIn this Macquarie University program, undergraduate students complete an international placement while gaining academic credit toward their degree. PACE International activities provide students with the opportunity to enrich, apply and challenge academic learning in an international context, learn through participation, and build skills that employers value.
Scope Global’s role is to facilitate opportunities for students to develop new skills, travel to new places and engage with the big issues shaping the future of society.
This year Scope Global provided effective in-country pastoral care to students in China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vanuatu.
Students from a variety of academic disciplines completed PACE activities in 2016–17. For example:
• In the Philippines, students supported local organisation Bahay Tuluyan by participating in its annual Children’s Assembly and completing training on the Convention on the Rights of the Child
• In Vanuatu, law students engaged in a collaborative project involving critical research to examine aspects of legal and policy responses surrounding the impacts of climate change in Vanuatu
• In China, students completed internships at international law firms, and engineering placements at a number of partner organisations
• In Malaysia, three students undertook professional engagement placements in marketing and human resources in Kuala Lumpur. In Sabah, students conducted research focused on the Tagal system and how it is impacted by pollution, land clearing and other activities that lead to degradation of the river.
Exploring international relations in Singapore
In December 2016, 21 University of Adelaide students travelled to Singapore for an international relations study tour.
On a typical morning, the group took part in lectures focusing on Singapore’s political, foreign policy and cultural history and future. They heard from guest speakers such as former Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bob Carr, and Singaporean politician, lawyer and academic Sylvia Lim.
In the afternoons, the timetable included activities to complement the classroom-based learning. The group visited sites such as Parliament House, museums, and the Australian High Commission, and took part in the Ground Up initiative, a volunteer-driven community that cultivates environmental awareness.
Student testimonial
The entire trip was of huge benefit. The chance to work closely with fellow students in a wholly new environment really fosters a unique energy and ethos that enables engagement on a level I had never previously experienced in university life. I feel privileged to have been able to visit so many fantastic sites, meet so many interesting people and really get to feel the fabric of life in Vietnam.
Spencer Platten, University of Adelaide student, international development Vietnam study tour
Scope Global’s student mobility solutions focus on tailored faculty-led study tours and short-term international internships that are designed to change the way participants see their world.
University of Adelaide International Development Studies students at the Hue Imperial Citadel, Vietnam.
Scope Global-led study toursOur study tours facilitate short-term international experiential learning experiences for Australian students, typically in partnership with Australian universities.
The program focuses on academic-led study tours, international internships and international community development placements that are tailored to the requirements of universities and students. Study tours are designed to help students gain unique learning experiences, a deeper understanding and connection to their chosen field, and develop skills valued by future employers.
Our inventive and varied timetables include input from high profile guest speakers, classroom-based learning and immersive community-based activities.
This year, Scope Global managed four international study tours and approximately 70 students to take their learning outside the classroom. Study groups travelled to Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam to further their studies in international development and international relations.
Our services included concept and itinerary development, logistics management, risk management, access to local experts, and provision of pastoral care and in-country support.
KEY:
PACE international
Scope Global-led study tours
PHILIPPINESVIETNAM
MALAYSIA
VANAUTU
SINGAPORE
INDONESIA
CHINA
By taking concepts from the classroom to the real world, we create rich and powerful learning experiences and enable students to develop a deeper connection with their studies.
This year we focused on delivering customised experiences for participants in PACE International and Scope Global-led study tours.
We worked with universities to ensure each study tour met academic requirements and created outstanding international learning experiences for students.
24 25ENGAGE Issue 2, December 2017
160ASSIGNMENTS WORKED
WITH PEOPLE WITH A DISABILITY (24%)
59ASSIGNMENTS HAD A PRIMARY FOCUS ON GENDER EQUALITY
656VOLUNTEERS
SUPPORTED ACROSS 15 COUNTRIES
349 NEW
ASSIGNMENTS
Case study: Partnering with CommBank to support Australian volunteers
Many Australian volunteers return home from their assignments inspired by their experience and are keen to step up and find new solutions to problems they have encountered, whether on their assignment or at home.
In June 2017, 20 returned Australian volunteers gathered to attend a two-day workshop delivered in partnership with the CommBank Innovation Lab in Sydney.
The applicants were selected through a competitive process open to all members of the Returned Australian Volunteer Network.
The workshop helped returned volunteers realise their potential as change-makers by introducing them to contemporary models of design thinking and experimentation, and taking them through the innovation process from idea to execution.
“What the lab taught me is that we should think about the end user – think about customers and think about how we can solve problems from a demand side rather than from a supply side,” said returned volunteer Gobie Rajalingam, who is looking to create new opportunities for food tourism in Timor-Leste.
International volunteeringIn 2016–17 Scope Global continued as the largest delivery partner under the Australian Volunteers for International Development (AVID) program.
AVID contributes to Australia’s overseas aid program by strengthening capacity of local host organisations and developing people-to-people linkages between Australia and developing countries.
Scope Global managed 656 volunteers across 15 countries through Asia and the Pacific during the year, including placing 349 new volunteers with organisations that host volunteers.
Our team developed volunteer assignments with 447 host organisations across a broad range of organisation types and assignment sectors that align with the Australian Government’s aid, trade and foreign policy priorities. This included a significant focus on fostering private sector economic development to improve the livelihoods of local people and communities.
One of AVID’s strengths is the diversity of the volunteer community and a key focus over recent years has been enhancing inclusiveness. Targeted initiatives increased participation of people with disability and we achieved our largest participation rate so far of people living with a disability.
Case study: Best practices in disability inclusion
• Provided professional development sessions with teachers from three pilot schools in Fiji
• Improved team skills of the Laos National Wheelchair Basketball team
• Initiated a Laos Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team
• Modifications to enable the first wheelchair accessible and safe van in Laos
• Disability awareness raised in local communities such as taxi drivers, accommodation staff and tourism providers.
The initiative has been recognised domestically and internationally for its inclusive model, bilateral capacity development outcomes and significant reach, engagement and public diplomacy outcomes with communities in Australia, Fiji and Laos.
In 2015 Scope Global designed the Disability Empowerment Skills Exchange (DESE), a world first for inclusive team-based international volunteering. DESE connects skilled Australians who have lived experience of disability with partners in the Asia-Pacific region to share knowledge, combat stereotypes and develop leadership for disability empowerment.
In 2017 the second and third skills exchanges mobilised to Fiji and Laos to partner with the Fiji Ministry of Education Special and Inclusive Education Unit, the Laos Disabled Women’s Development Centre and the Laos Disabled People’s Association. The DESE teams cumulatively reached 693 local people via 30 activities that included people with disability acting as co-trainers and facilitators. Outcomes included:
• Increase of private sector, government and tourism organisations offering employment opportunities for students and people with a disability in Fiji and Laos
Photo: ABC International Development journalist Nastasia Campanella reporting on the DESE project in Fiji.
26 27ENGAGE Issue 2, December 2017
Australia Awards-Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships
Australia-Malaysia ‘Towards 2020’ Scholarships Program
Australia Awards Papua New Guinea In-Australia Support
Australia Awards South and West Asia
Australian Volunteers for International Development
Bhutan Institutional Strengthening for Skills Development
Defence Cooperation Scholarship Program
JobStart Philippines
Kiribati Facility (including the Skills for Employment Program)
New Colombo Plan Scholarship Program
PACE International
Pacific Technical Assistance Mechanism Phase 2 (PACTAM2)
Sri Lanka Skills for Inclusive Growth
Scope Global-led study tours
Tonga Skills for Inclusive Growth
Throughout the year we worked in partnership with our clients, institutions, individuals and communities. We enabled people to positively change their world through the programs we delivered in more than 50 countries.
Where we worked in 2016-17
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Australian volunteer Cindy Fahey working with the Malampa Community Health Services in Vanuatu.
