As the second part of a forum on vocational education and training life skills, members of the Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education attended the Ballarat meeting to identify successful practices they can take back to their own countries.

Secretary-general Maria Khan said members would learn from each other to improve outcomes around the world.

She said vocational education can be used as a method to improve outlooks for those facing poverty and hardship in developing and advanced countries.

“It most certainly can help,” she said.

“Access to numeracy and literacy training helps people in poorer countries and those in difficult situations improve their chances of employment.”

Ms Khan said there were also proven results, indicating the benefits of giving people the tools to help themselves.

“Part of our work is documenting our results and we have found with improved literacy and numeracy, not only does a person’s income increase, their whole outlook on life improves,” she said.

Members from Japan, India, Bangladesh, Philippines, New Zealand, Nepal, China and Australia attended the forum.

BRACE chief executive officer Christopher Carroll said lessons learnt overseas were relevant in Ballarat’s own backyard.

“Even though Mr (Wayne) Swan will tell you Australia’s unemployment rate is about 5 per cent, when you factor in youth it comes to be something like 15 to 20 per cent,” he said.

“There is a bulge of young people who are not employed with no numeracy or literacy skills, which is why adult learning is so important.”

For more information on adult learning, call BRACE on 1800 101 808.