National Research by NCVER echoes the outcomes of a recent FFTITC Forum : Building Pathways Together: Skills on Country Forum Inspires Connection and Action

On the 18th March, the Food, Fibre and Timber Industries Training Council, in conjunction with the Waalitj Foundation, hosted an inaugural Skills on Country Network Forum on the 18th March 2026.   A diverse group of leaders, educators, industry representatives and community voices came together to focus on the theme of strengthening Indigenous connection to careers.

You might recall we circulated the outcomes of the conversation we had during the Forum. To access that post, click here.

An interesting report has recently been released by NCVER that not surprisingly echoes much of the outcomes of our discussions during that day.

To access the NCVER report Place-based and culturally responsive VET for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners, click here 

NCVER's research highlights how culturally responsive learning can improve outcomes for Aboriginal learners

1. ‘Place’ means connection to Country, culture and belonging, not just location: for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners, effective place‑based training is grounded in cultural safety and strong connections to Country and community.

   
   
   
   

2. Aboriginal‑led approaches and strong community partnerships are critical to success: best practice place‑based and culturally responsive training is Aboriginal led, employs and supports Aboriginal staff and is built on trusted partnerships with community organisations and Aboriginal employers. Creating inclusive learning environments and building cultural capability is a shared ethical responsibility for all training providers and educators.

   
   

3. Long‑term coordinated support is needed to embed these approaches system‑wide: Sustainable funding approaches, workforce support and cross‑sector partnerships are essential to overcome challenges and achieve lasting impact across remote and urban settings.

In anticipation we look forward to catching up again for a second round of our March Forum to continue on from the good outcomes with the aim of collaboratively working together to further actions from the learned outcomes.

For further information, contact our CEO, Tony Palladino at Tony@fftitc.com.au

Growing Skills for Industry

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