Aspirations of adult learners in Aboriginal family service agencies

Abstract

There is a gap in the literature on the experiences of Aboriginal adults who have made the transition into education and employment after moving to an urban community. Staff of three Aboriginal inner-city family services agencies participated in an interview that included the question: What changes do you see in your employment and education? Forty-four participants made a total of 70 unique responses. Participants grouped the responses into nine concepts including: advancement in their work, formal education, gaining new skills, teaching others, learning more about themselves, professional development, work experience, helping the youth and working for their own community. Results are compared to the available literature and implications for future research are presented.