Key Findings

The main findings from the project included:

• A number of philosophies underpin the Supported Training Programme at NMIT: everyone has the right to education and training; the most important thing people need to learn is that they can; and the pathway to learning is often littered with obstacles and the task of facilitator is to remove as many as possible.
• NMIT, as a learning institution, believes in equal opportunities for access to education for everyone, regardless of prior learning. This philosophy has led to policies and practices of inclusiveness, including the granting of a scholarship that removes as much of the tuition fee as possible for people unlikely to be able to afford tertiary education.
• People with intellectual disabilities are well catered for in Nelson with recreational, vocational and educational facilities available at varying costs. IDSS, the intellectual disability support arm of the DHB, provides therapeutic, recreational and vocational activities for clients but charges quite highly for these 3-hour sessions. IDEA runs a number of bases in the area that provide activities, some instructionally based. Community Art Works Trust, which until recently was supported by NMIT through the Supported Training Programme, offers art activities that are therapeutic in nature and it has a history of award winning creativity.
• Decisions on the formation of the programme and subsequent adjustments continue as they always have, through a consultative process. Stakeholders in the community were identified and an advisory committee was established. This group continues to guide and reflect community interest in decision making with the chair of that committee being an active community person involved with national concerns for people with disabilities.
• All courses in the Supported Training Programme are assessed against prescribed learning outcomes. These may be informed by unit standards but are not driven by them. Students’ learning is measured by their achievement of these learning outcomes, and certificates for satisfactory achievement are issued at the graduation ceremony that concludes each academic year.
• The “Supported Training Programme” has been designed with a high degree of flexibility to suit learners’ timetables, goals, and capabilities. A series of mini-case studies (14) describe the benefit of this approach to learners.

Key Recommendations

The Supported Training Programme has some key points of difference to other programmes focusing on people with intellectual disabilities around the country. These are:

‘Pick and mix’ nature of uptake by students | NMIT’s Supported Training Programme has a ‘pick and mix’ nature of uptake by students. Rather than students being required to commit to a whole year of full- or near full-time study, the programme is set up so that students can enrol on the courses that suit their personal timetables and plans. Thus, they build towards a qualification 15 or 30 credits at a time.

Staffing regime | The staffing regime allows for dual staffing throughout the programme. Course enrolments are usually capped at 12 although some courses may take more if there are no safety issues and where participation is part of the outcome to be measured. Music is an example where there may be up to 16 students because participation makes up part of the assessment. Each course is staffed by one tutor who leads the activities that facilitate learning and who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the course, including planning, implementation and assessment. In addition, an assistant is employed for each course to help the tutor and the learning of the students. This effectively creates a tutor/student ratio of 1:6.

Guiding students into the learning environment | The Programme makes an effort to guide students into the learning environment. Some come straight from school or life at home or from a support agency but the majority of younger learners come from secondary schools in the area. The most desirable pathway for people with a learning or intellectual disability is to begin their transition from secondary to tertiary training between the ages of 16 and 21, and this programme supports that process. Many of them start with one course enrolment in their first year and, by the time they are ready to study full time at a polytechnic, they may have achieved a number of course credits and be attending NMIT 3 or 4 days a week.

The major highlights and benefits of the programme | The major highlights and benefits of NMIT’s Supported Training programme are: it provides students with flexible options that can be fitted into a busy lifestyle; it is driven by a realistic appreciation of ability, not held back by focus on disability; students are encouraged to believe they can learn and that they have the right to learn – which is empowering; it is outward looking in its linkages with the community; it focuses on pathways for students for their next steps in learning; it is hugely time consuming because of all the consultation required; and it is the most rewarding thing in the world.