Higher education students in contemporary France

The purpose of the article is to determine the vectors of building an effective interaction with employers in the system of higher library and information education. The methodology. Socio-communicative and system-structural approaches were applied, which made it possible to determine the directions and functions of communication links in the system of gradual library and information education, to prove the importance of strengthening the communication interaction in the “higher education institution — employer”, “student of higher education — employer”, “graduate of a higher education institution — employer” subsystems. Based on the application of sociological research methods (questionnaires and surveys, monitoring of the employment of graduates), the necessity of establishing comprehensive relations in the “student of higher library education program — employer-director of the library” system has been proved in order to form the general and professional competencies in applicants that are in demand at the labor market. The results. Based on the analysis of the modern pedagogical idea and the own years-long teaching experience, the issue of building an effective cooperation between higher education institutions and employers was considered for the first time. Emphasis is placed on the translation of “student-teacher” academic communication into future professional relations of “graduate — employer”. A systematic approach to the organization of communication interaction between the graduate departments of KSAC in the specialty 029 “Information, library and archival affairs” and employers is highlighted, which involves various formats, methods, ways and technologies of communication interaction of all stakeholders in the quality training of library personnel (students of higher library education, scientific — pedagogical staff, graduates, heads of library institutions), aimed at the requirements of the modern labor market. Based on the results of a survey within the directors of libraries of Kharkiv and Kharkiv region, the qualities of graduates of KSAC prioritized by employers were determined, and their rating was the following: professional knowledge (89%), mastery of modern ICT (87%), reader orientation (56%), sociability (55%), creativity (46%), responsibility and reliability (35%), leadership (34%), organizational skills (32%), speech culture (26%), appearance (21%). The effectiveness of the implementation of employment monitoring, involvement of employers into teaching, review of educational programs and qualification works of students, participation in final assessment, has been proven. The scientific topicality. The sociological study “A graduate in the eyes of an employer” carried out by the Department of Digital Communications and Information Research of KSAC revealed two key problems that affect the effectiveness of communication interaction in the “graduate — employer” system: 1) graduates easily use digital technologies — digital skills, but have weaker communication technologies (communication skills), standards of business communication, which inhibits their professional adaptation; 2) the culture of academic communication “student — teacher” is translated into professional interaction “graduate — employer”, which forms behavioral models of future librarians already at the student desk. This requires the strengthening of systematic cooperation between higher education institutions and leading employees of information structures, libraries, archives, museums and other document and communication institutions of society. The ways of improving of the communication patterns of students, teachers and employers, strengthening of their interaction, partnership and responsibility have been determined. It was revealed that all stakeholders involved into the training and refresher course of the new generation of library and information personnel look toward to close communication in order to improve the professional and personal qualities of graduates, their competitiveness at the modern labor market, and quick adaptation to the requirements of the library industry and to a specific workplace. The practical significance. The results of the study can be used by Ukrainian institutions of higher education in the process of improving educational programs for training specialists in the specialty 029 Information, library and archival affairs, as well as to increase the effectiveness of cooperation with employers in all possible areas of communication interaction in the system of training of library specialists of all educational degrees, which will contribute to increasing their competitiveness at the global information market.

PurposeMarine plastic pollution (MPP) is increasing in recent times because of the high usage of plastic products. Green consumption behaviour (GCB) gaining attention as effective approach to achieving sustainable source reduction of plastic pollution, which negatively affects both human pollution and marine biodiversity and ecosystem. Although, Higher Education (HE) students are key stakeholders in addressing environmental issues, including MPP, there is limited empirical research in Ghana on factors influencing HE students’ GCB. This study, in an endeavour to bridge the gap, used the revised theory of planned behaviour (TPB) framework to investigate the factors influencing higher-education students’ green consumption behaviour in the Ghanaian context. Specifically, the purpose of the study is to examine the interplay of consumer novelty seeking (CNS), environmental concern (EC), perceived behavioural control and social influence on green consumption behaviour among higher-education students in Ghana. The study also explored the moderating role of gender in the relationship between CNS and green consumption behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThis study used quantitative approach to obtain data from a sample of 233 students at the University of Cape Coast and used the partial least squares structural equation modelling approach for the data analysis.FindingsThe findings provide valuable insights, highlighting the important role of CNS and ECs in driving higher education students’ green consumption behaviour in Ghana. This study also found a revealing role for gender as a moderator in the relationship between CNS and green consumption behaviour, with females exhibiting a more pronounced response to CNS in influencing green consumption behaviour. On the contrary, the authors found a non-significant impact of perceived behavioural control and social influence.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this study presents results that provide valuable insights for policy and practical implications, it has some limitations worth mentioning for future research directions. Firstly, the participants sampled for this study comprised only higher education students from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, which may limit the applicability of the findings to other student populations at various universities in Ghana and beyond. Moreover, the exclusion of non-students who are considered as “Generation Z” (i.e. born within 1995–2010) may narrow the scope of generalisability in the context of young consumers’ green consumption behaviour in Ghana. To enhance the generalisability of future studies, it is recommended that the scope of this study be extended. Furthermore, it should be noted that this study primarily measured higher education students’ green consumption behaviour based on self-reported data. Therefore, future research could adopt alternative approaches, such as non-self-reported measures or experimental data so to reduce the complexities and the gap that may exist between attitudes and behaviour.Practical implicationsThese results provide valuable insights for policymakers, educators and environmental advocates to develop targeted initiatives that resonate with Ghanaian higher education students to foster green consumption practices and contribute to global efforts against marine plastic pollution.Originality/valueThe novelty of this study lies in the decision to propose a TPB model by including variables like CNS and EC that are believed to positively shape attitudes towards green consumption behaviour. The rationale for examining these variables is grounded in the belief that they are appropriate factors that may predict students’ green consumer behaviour, which may serve as a potential solution to marine plastic pollution.

BackgroundEducation is a key determinant of future employment and income prospects of young people. Poor mental health is common among young people and is related to risk of dropping out of school (dropout). Educational level and gender might play a role in the association, which remains to be studied.MethodsMental health was measured in 3146 Danish inhabitants aged 16–29 years using the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey and examined across genders and educational levels. For students, educational level at baseline was used; for young people who were not enrolled in school at baseline (non-students), the highest achieved educational level was used. The risk of dropout in students was investigated in administrative registers over a 4.8–year period (1st March 2010–31th December 2014). Odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for mental health and in relation to dropout in logistic regression models, adjusting for age, gender, educational level, parental education, parental income and ethnicity.ResultsPoor mental health was present in 24 % (n = 753) of the participants, 29 % (n = 468) in females and 19 % (n = 285) in males (p < 0.0001). The prevalence differed from 19 to 39 % across educational levels (p < 0.0001). Females had a statistically significantly higher adjusted risk of poor mental health than males (OR = 1.8, CI = 1.5–2.2). Among the students the lowest risk was found at the elementary level (OR = 1.3, CI = 0.8–2.3), while students in higher education had a statistically significantly higher risk (OR = 1.9, CI = 1.2–2.9). The lowest-educated non-students had the highest OR of poor mental health (OR = 3.3, CI = 2.1–5.4). Dropout occurred in 8 % (n = 124) of the students. Poor mental health was associated to dropout in vocational (OR = 1.8, CI = 1.0–3.2) and higher education (OR = 2.0, CI = 1.0–4.2). For males in higher education, poor mental health was a predictor of dropout (OR = 5.2, CI = 1.6–17.3), which was not seen females in higher education (OR = 1.2, CI = 0.5–3.1).ConclusionsPoor mental health was significantly associated to dropout among students in vocational and higher education. Males in higher education had five times the risk of dropout when reporting poor mental health, while no such association was found for females.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3622-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The study aimed to examine the influence of entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial literacy, role model inspiration, and self-efficacy on entrepreneurship readiness among higher education students and the role of the project-based learning model implementation as a moderator variable. The population in the study were students in higher education in Indonesia who had taken entrepreneurship courses. Data from 313 valid respondents were analyzed against the research model using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. The findings revealed that entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial literacy, and role model inspiration were found to positively influence self-efficacy as well as entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education. Unpredictably, the moderator project-based learning models’ implementation was shown to have an insignificant effect on the influence of entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial literacy, and role model inspiration toward entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education. The findings of this study provide several important theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education. higher education in Indonesia who had taken entrepreneurship courses. Data collected from 313 valid respondents were analyzed against the research model using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. The findings revealed that entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial literacy, and role model inspiration were found to positively influence self-efficacy as well as entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education. Unpredictably, the moderator project-based learning models’ implementation was shown to have an insignificant effect on the influence of entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial literacy, and role model inspiration toward entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education. The findings of this study provide several important theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education.

The study aimed to examine the influence of entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial literacy, role model inspiration, and self-efficacy on entrepreneurship readiness among higher education students and the role of the project-based learning model implementation as a moderator variable. The population in the study were students in higher education in Indonesia who had taken entrepreneurship courses. Data from 313 valid respondents were analyzed against the research model using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. The findings revealed that entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial literacy, and role model inspiration were found to positively influence self-efficacy as well as entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education. Unpredictably, the moderator project-based learning models’ implementation was shown to have an insignificant effect on the influence of entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial literacy, and role model inspiration toward entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education. The findings of this study provide several important theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education. higher education in Indonesia who had taken entrepreneurship courses. Data collected from 313 valid respondents were analyzed against the research model using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. The findings revealed that entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial literacy, and role model inspiration were found to positively influence self-efficacy as well as entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education. Unpredictably, the moderator project-based learning models’ implementation was shown to have an insignificant effect on the influence of entrepreneurial passion, entrepreneurial literacy, and role model inspiration toward entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education. The findings of this study provide several important theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurship readiness among students in higher education.

According to Sheffield Hallam University’s Access and Participation Plan (20/21-24/25), there has been an increased number of disabled students entering Higher Education (HE), with 14.6% of students declaring a disability in the sector. Therefore, this review of the literature explored potential barriers into Higher Education for students with disabilities. Within Higher Education institutions, disabled students may be categorised into having ‘mental health’, ‘cognitive and learning’, ‘sensory, medical and physical’ or ‘multiple impairment’ related disabilities. This review was commissioned in collaboration with the Higher Education Progression Partnership (South Yorkshire), with the aim of identifying barriers into Higher Education institutions for disabled students. Evidence provided from this literature review is intended to assist in developing a rationale for an intervention design and delivery that alleviates the barriers into Higher Education for disabled students. From examining the literature, a prominent barrier that emerged was a lack of accessibility at university. For instance, an inconsistent willingness from tutors to make reasonable adjustments to assessments, a lack of understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characteristics and spread-out university campus buildings that were inaccessible for students with Cerebral Palsy/walking disabilities. The research findings also revealed that there was a lack of accessible spaces on campus for disabled students, especially for students with ASD to interact. Furthermore, disabled students’ perceptions of stigmatisation and discrimination of disclosing their disability was another key barrier into Higher Education. For instance, during the application process to university, students believed that it would jeopardise their opportunity to be accepted into their chosen Higher Education institution if they were to disclose their disability.

Purpose – Institutional repositories (IR) are usually used to archive and manage digital collections including research results, educational material, etc. Learning management systems (LMS) form a popular basis for e-learning and blended learning. This paper aims to study how to integrate IR and LMS to support accessibility of disabled students and students with learning difficulties (dyslexic students) in higher education. Customised ontologies focusing on disabled students can be used to facilitate indexing, and access of items in the repository. Design/methodology/approach – The authors propose a simple methodological approach to establish an integrating system for supporting accessibility. First, the authors review research works related to adaptive learning environments (ALEs) and blended learning, and discuss issues of the interoperability of IR and LMS. Then, based on the review, the authors discuss the use of an integrated ALE for supporting disabled students in the domain of higher technological education. The integrated system is based on IR, LMS and assistive and adaptive technology. The open source software platform DSpace is used to build up the repository applications Use of the web ontology language (OWL) ontologies is also proposed for indexing and accessing the various, heterogeneous items stored in the repository. Various open source LMS (e.g. openeclass) could be used to build up the integrated system. Finally, the authors describe experimentation with a prototype implemented to provide the mentioned capabilities. Findings – The technology is mature enough for building up integrated systems, combining capabilities of IR and LMS, for supporting disabled students. The use of ontologies focused on disabled students could facilitate the use of such integrated systems. Customisation and operation of a platform, for the selection and use of portions of OWL ontologies, could be based on the open source software Protégé. Such a platform forms a basis to create an appropriate ontology suitable for specific domains, e.g. the domain of technological education. Finally, the authors argue that the combined use of the OWL platform and the DSpace repository with open source LMS platforms could support domain experts for creating customised ontologies and facilitating searching. Originality/value – A new perception of the term integrated system for supporting disabled students in the higher education context is presented. This perception tries to combine the IR technology that supports the self-archiving approach of information, open LMS technology and the user-centred approach to support students and manage the “life of information”.

Students’ academic engagement in higher education, especially in Economics, is crucial for their success. However, the interaction effect of gender and academic level on the academic engagement of Economics students remains unexplored. This study used a descriptive cross-sectional survey design to examine the academic engagement of Economics students in Ghanaian higher education, with a particular focus on variations based on academic level and gender. Using a census method, the research involved 452 students from different academic levels. This study employs a census method to involve 452 students across various academic levels. Also, a “multidimensional academic engagement scale” was utilized as the data collection instrument. Descriptive (“mean and standard deviation”) and multivariate analysis of variance (“two-way MANOVA”) were used to analyze the research objectives. The study found that Economics students showed high levels of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement. However, their agentic engagement was moderate. Also, the study revealed no significant variations in academic engagement based on gender and academic level. However, at the univariate level, significant differences were found in agentic engagement based on gender. In addition, there were significant differences in both behavioral and agentic engagement based on academic level. It is recommended that higher education educators, especially Economics educators, focus on creating a supportive environment to increase students’ agentic engagement.

Adult students in higher education comprise a sizeable and expanding group of college and university students (Kasworm, Sandmann, & Sissel, 2000). While Sissel, Hansman, and Kasworm (2001) note the dearth of scholarship on adult learners in higher education, this same group of scholars and some of their colleagues have certainly produced a solid foundation of scholarly work on the needs and status of adults in higher education (e.g., Kasworm, 2003; Kasworm & Marienau, 1997; Sissel, Hansman, & Kasworm, 2001). There is a tendency, however, when the subject is the distinctive needs and characteristics of adult learners in higher education to focus on the adult undergraduate as opposed to the adult graduate student. For example, when Donaldson (2007; 2006) and his colleagues examined both the higher education literature and the adult education literature for themes in the discourse about adult learners, they focused exclusively on adult undergraduates. Not only is there more explicit representation of adult undergraduates in the literature, many articles in both the adult education literature and the higher education literature tacitly index adult undergraduates when they discuss adult learners in higher education. Posing the question of who counts as an important client in higher education, Kasworm, Sandmann, and Sissel (2000) have declared that ... undergraduate degree seekers, credential-seeking students, and graduate students are frequently blurred in the dialogue about adults as learners in the academy (p. 453). There exists a need in both the adult and higher education literature to recognize adult, mid-career master's degree students as a group with its own distinct identity. Although these students have much in common with adult undergraduates, there are important ways in which they diverge. Features common to both adult undergraduate and graduate students include: * Assumption of adult roles, relationships, and responsibilities * Likelihood of employment * Greater and more diverse experience than traditionally aged undergraduates * Less time available for academic work than traditionally aged undergraduates Characteristics that define adult graduate students but do not apply to adult undergraduates include: * Possession of a Bachelor's Degree * Familiarity with the culture and mastery of the demands of the higher education environment * Sharpened focus on a professional field and subject matter * Shortened time frame for completion Although the existence of common features supports a research strategy that combines the two groups, the presence of the divergent features argue for the use of special approaches to studying each group and suggests the need for research that would compare the two groups. An example of a study that is more appropriately targeted to one than the other is that of Ross-Gordon (2003) who describes the anxiety and lack of self-confidence reported by many adult undergraduates upon beginning their course of study. To generalize this finding to adult master's degree students would be a mistake, given the experience that such students have already gained in the context of higher education. Another example of a topic for which the two groups should be differentiated rather than combined is attrition. There are certainly factors from the list of common features, e.g., the demands of work and family responsibilities that may contribute to an adult student's decision to withdraw from a degree program. Completing an undergraduate degree program typically takes a much longer time than a master's degree program. The longer duration may be seen as a heavier burden on the adult undergraduate. On the other hand, for the adult graduate students who already possess a Bachelor's Degree, the intervention of a life crisis may make attrition more likely if the attainment of a graduate degree is seen as less necessary than that of the Bachelor's degree. …

We study the relationship between academic performance of students in higher education and the decision to migrate. We focus on the case of Colombia due to the good availability of data on standardised tests for students in higher and secondary education. We exploit this information following an empirical strategy that allows us to identify the existence of negative effects associated with the decision to migrate, controlling for potential academic benefits of migration, such as belonging to better social networks in the receiving cities of migrants. These negative effects are associated with the psychological and financial costs that students face when migrating. Similarly, we follow a novel strategy by controlling for potential commuter students who are not identified in the sample, or who may be misclassified as migrants. These robustness exercises show that the result found previously is maintained, which is favourable to the hypothesis of the existence of negative effects associated with migration on academic performance. This result is relevant for the elaboration of educational policies in developing countries.

Given the extensive social and private benefits that result from higher education (HE), access, inclusion, and completion are essential for achieving social justice, and ensuring the realisation of the full potential of those who wish to acquire HE. Yet still, many students or indeed their families, especially in low-income countries like Uganda, find it extremely difficult to access HE, whilst many of the students who join higher education institutions (HEIs) fail to complete their study programmes due to failure to meet the costs involved. On top of the various affirmative action measures aimed at increasing equitable access to HE, the Government of Uganda in 2012 introduced a financing scheme for HE that is, the Uganda Students’ Higher Education Financing Policy (USHEFP) that culminated into the Students’ Loan Scheme (SLS) with the primary aim of increasing equitable access to HE by providing loans to the qualified students who would otherwise not afford the cost of HE. The purpose of this study therefore, is to explore how the USHEFP is facilitating access, retention, and successful completion of students (policy beneficiaries) in HE. Using snow-balling and purposive sampling, the results from one-on-one interviews with participants revealed that the Higher Education Students Financing Board (HESFB) provides loans only for the academic component (Tuition and Functional fees) of the students, leaving out the welfare component (feeding, accommodation, scholastic materials) as well as internship and research. Without downplaying the importance of this financing policy in facilitating access to HE, nevertheless, the study revealed that the policy does not have an explicit effort to ensure that those who access the loans, complete their studies. Thus, since its inception with the first cohort of beneficiaries in 2014, the scheme has awarded loans to about 11,187 students out of whom 776 students have dropped out, translating into 6.94% of the students’ loan scheme dropouts due to inability to meet the cost of their welfare while at campus

BackgroundDigital mental health interventions have been posited as a way of reducing the burden on mental health services in higher education institutions. However, low adherence and high attrition rates present a challenge that limits the effectiveness of these interventions. User-centered design has been proposed as a suitable approach in improving the adherence of users to these interventions. ObjectiveThe objective of this scoping review was to examine digital mental health interventions that have been designed specifically for students in higher education. It aimed to summarize the published literature on digital mental health interventions which take a user-centered approach in developing interventions for students in higher education. MethodsA scoping review of peer-reviewed research papers from the following electronic databases was conducted: Embase, ACM digital library, Web of Science, IEEE Explore, SCOPUS, EBSCO Host (including APA PyscInfo, CINAHL PLUS, APA PsycArticles, Medline), PubMed and Google Scholar. Databases were searched from inception until 13 Jan and 14 Jan 2021. Of the 755 articles that were identified, 57 articles were selected for full review. 34 articles were excluded for not matching the inclusion criteria. Results23 studies were included in this review. The included interventions targeted various areas of mental health including depression, anxiety, overall wellbeing, and mental health awareness. The interventions were commonly delivered through mobile apps, web-based apps, and desktop apps. In addition, we explore design methodologies applied in the development of the interventions: we note significant stakeholder engagement in the studies, the inclusion of multiple stakeholder types (students, health care professionals, university staff, and young people in the general population), and limited use of design frameworks. Finally, in exploring user engagement, attrition rates and user acceptance, we find that most of the studies have not progressed enough (i.e., at pilot/prototype stages of development) to determine the impact of design methodologies on the success of these interventions. ConclusionOur review revealed a need for further research on the impact of user-centered design practices on the success of digital mental health interventions in this population. Further, we provide recommendations that researchers/designers in this field of research should take into consideration when designing online mental health interventions for students in higher education. Some of the recommendations include: add personalization; improve user interfaces; take adequate steps to ensure anonymity/privacy/security; include peer engagement; and include access to mental health professionals.

Although higher education students have been identified as one of the social groups most affected by the impact of COVID-19, higher education literature appears to focus more on documenting implications for teaching and learning, curriculum and institutions, than student wellbeing. This has resulted in gaps to our understanding and approaches to intervene positively in, student wellbeing within the higher education space ‘post-COVID-19’. Drawing on a novel survey data set administered in November 2021, of the 6877 higher education (University and TVET College) students in South Africa, this paper aims to contribute through cross-sectional data that allows analysis of student experience of COVID-19 and its relationship to student wellbeing. As expected, our findings confirm COVID-19 experience as a significant predictor of student wellbeing. We also identify satisfaction with interventions from higher education stakeholders in response to COVID-19 as the strongest, and the extent to which students felt impacted by changes to their routine behaviours as the weakest, predictors of wellbeing. The paper adds to existing international literature, the South African context with a large sample. Secondly, the analysis provides a more comprehensive view of the link between COVID-19 and higher education student wellbeing, as TVET College students are included. The composite measurement of COVID-19 experience is a further contribution. Finally, the findings add to the literature on COVID-19 and higher education student wellbeing, the experience of disadvantaged students. The findings underscore the emotional health of students as a critical area for higher education policy and intervention during times of uncertainty or disruption.

Digital competence is among the basic key competences for digital learning and employability. For this reason, its acquisition and development should be on the agenda of higher education institutions (HEIs) who wish to prepare their students to thrive in an ever faster evolving digital labour market. However, the existence of a valid instrument that can help HEIs measuring and further integrating digital competence into pedagogical and organisational practices with sufficient precision is yet to be accomplished. This article provides a valid and reliable instrument to measure higher education students' digital competence on the basis of the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens, also known as DigComp. The instrument was applied to a sample of 411 students from a mid‐large public HEI and the results attest its validity and reliability. In addition, the study explores proficiency differences among students from different fields of education and training, and gender. Results demystify the idea that ICT students are more digitally competent than those in other fields of study, but suggest males score higher than females, which feeds into the ongoing debate of gender differences in relation to digital technologies and the readiness of females for the digital labour market. The results lead to clear implications for research and practice. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Digital competence is critical for higher education (HE) students to benefit from digital learning, strive in a digital society and increase employability prospects. There is a lack of valid instruments to measure higher education (HE) students' digital competence and facilitate the identification of digital competence gaps. Few studies focus on the relationship between HE students' digital competence, gender and fields of education and training (FET). What this paper adds A valid and reliable instrument based on a common European framework for digital competence. HE students lack the necessary digital competences to effectively cope with digital environments. Digital proficiency is particularly low regarding “Safety”, “Problem solving” and “Digital content creation” competence areas. ICT students show less proficiency than those from other FET. Male students score higher than females. Implications for practice and/or policy The instrument can be adopted by different stakeholders to assess students/future job seekers' digital competence. HE institutions could benefit from such an instrument as a diagnosis to design specific teaching and learning strategies and target students' proficiency and particular needs. Tackling specific FET and competence areas can better support the development of students' digital competence and facilitate their employability prospects.

Purpose This chapter critically analyses the current participation of Indigenous Australian students in higher education and identifies new directions for seeding success and enabling Indigenous students to flourish in higher education contexts. Methodology Statistical reports, government reports and the scholarly literature were analysed to elucidate the nature of participation of Indigenous students in higher education, identify strategies that are succeeding, identify issues that need addressing and explicate potentially potent ways forward. Findings The findings have important implications for theory, research and practice. The results of this study demonstrate, that while increasing numbers of Indigenous Australian students are accessing higher education, they still are not participating at a rate commensurate with their representation in the Australian population. The findings also suggest new ways to enable Indigenous Australians to not only succeed in higher education, but flourish. Research implications The findings imply that more needs to be done to seed success in increasing the numbers of Indigenous Australian students in higher education to be representative of the population and ensuring participation in higher education enables Indigenous students to succeed and flourish. The findings also imply that there is a dire need for further research to identify key drivers of success. Implications The study supports the need for increasing the number of Indigenous Australians participating in higher education and enhancing higher education strategies to enable Indigenous students to succeed and flourish. Social implications Enhancing the participation of Indigenous students in higher education internationally can help to contribute to the well-being of individuals, Indigenous communities and nations. Originality/value This chapter provides an up to date analysis of the nature of Indigenous Australian participation in higher education and identifies potentially potent new ways forward to seed success that have international implications.