Jiang, Zhou, Wang, Ying, Riggs, Damien, Mate, Susan, and Chapman, Andrew (2022) Supporting careers of LGBTQIA+ students in Australian universities. Report. Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.

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Abstract

[Extract] Australians who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual and more (LGBTQIA+) face tremendous challenges in preparing careers through higher education. However, there is very limited knowledge on how they are being supported to achieve better career outcomes and what unique expectations they hold for university support systems.

While LGBTQIA+ students have emerged as a new equity group in the higher education sector, Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2018) has historically excluded these students from the existing officially defined equity groups. However, the estimated number (>60,000) of domestic LGBTQIA+ students are comparable to (e.g., students with disability) or greater in number than (e.g., Indigenous students) some of the traditionally defined equity groups. Evidencing the unique vocational challenges LGBTQIA+ students face in general and in extreme conditions such as during COVID-19, our project has served to advocate for explicit policy attention for this emerging equity group.

Qualitative findings from this research indicated that there was specific need for additional or explicit career guidance for gender and/or sexuality diverse students in Australian universities. Findings also suggested the importance of visible role models in the workplace and the efficacy of providing specific mentoring for students. Other key factors identified were the importance of visible diversity-friendly workplaces and how highlighting these workplaces would be useful for gender and/or sexuality diverse students. Finally, the importance of considering the whole person and intersectionality was highlighted by participants during interviews. Specifically, regarding support during the global COVID-19 pandemic, interview findings highlight the impact of social isolation and housing security on gender and/or sexuality diverse students.

Item ID:	83413
Item Type:	Report (Report)
Copyright Information:	© Curtin University 2022. Except as permitted by the Copyright Act 1968, and unless otherwise stated, this material may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted without the permission of the copyright owner. All enquiries must be directed to Curtin University.
Date Deposited:	12 Aug 2024 22:58
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