Where To Study The AMEP: 5 Tips For Choosing An Education Provider

If you’re new to Australia and looking to improve your English language skills, you may have  heard about the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP).

This program, funded by the Australian Government, is free for eligible participants and is designed to support migrants and refugees with their communication and digital literacy skills. It can help you with your language, literacy, numerical and work skills. It’s also a fantastic way to increase your confidence, make new friends, support you to find a job, and explore options for further education.

However, with multiple providers to choose from, it can be difficult to know which option is best when it comes to studying the program.
In this article, the team from Navitas Skilled Futures (NSF) shares their top 5 tips for choosing where to study the AMEP. Keep reading to learn more!

1. Find An AMEP Specialist

Our first tip for choosing where to study the AMEP is to choose a specialist English language education provider, rather than one with various teaching areas. By this we mean it’s important to choose a school focused on teaching English, rather than one that teaches many different subjects, like plumbing, hairdressing and more.

Why does this matter? Here’s an example: if you wanted to learn to play soccer, being taught by a specialist soccer coach – rather than someone who knows some information about soccer, cricket and tennis – would help you become better at soccer more quickly.

The same applies to the AMEP – finding a College that specialises in delivering English language programs to students from migrant and refugee backgrounds can help you meet your goals sooner. That’s where Navitas Skilled Futures comes in!

We’ve specialised in delivering the AMEP for more than 25 years, supporting over 300,000 students along the way to learn how to speak, read and write English. Our focus is helping migrants and refugees to settle into life in Australia as smoothly as possible by providing free, Government Funded, programs for improving your English communication, employability and digital skills.

2. Ensure That You Choose A College That Focusses On Education

It might sound obvious, but when it comes to the AMEP it’s important to study with an education provider that focuses on just that – providing quality education and training

Some providers of the Adult Migrant English Program deliver the course only in addition to their main service, such as helping migrants find employment.

At NSF, we’re education providers  – delivering innovative programs that help our students is our highest priority because we’ve seen how excellent education can change lives.

While long-term goals such as securing a job are highly important, we believe in empowering our students through education and ensuring they have strong foundational skills first to set them up for continued success later on.

3. Explore Their History And Successes

When researching providers that offer the AMEP program, we recommend selecting a College with a proven history of excellence.

Check to see if the business has any student success stories available to read, like those provided by our Navitas Skilled Futures students, as this can be a good indicator of what your learning experience there might be like.

It’s also a good idea to find out whether the Collegehas received any honours or awards for its educational contributions. For example, NSF has proudly received the NSW Premier’s Multicultural Community Medal three years in a row, celebrating our business excellence and highlighting the positive outcomes we achieve for our students.

4. Choose A Provider That Values Your Local Community

It’s one thing to find an education provider that delivers excellent courses and student outcomes, but finding a College that also contributes to and supports your local community can be a more difficult task.

Beyond NSF’s educational programs, we collaborate with others on community partnerships that enrich our student experience and support even more migrants to build their best future. These include community garden projects, art exhibitions, sewing groups, and so many more.

We’re proud to be embedded in our local communities and give back in ways that make a difference outside of the classroom.

5. See What Additional Support They Offer

While strengthening your English language skills might be your current goal, choosing a provider that can support you with more than the AMEP is a wise decision. This ensures that you’ll have a support network by your side when it comes time to navigate additional challenges such as writing your resumé or preparing for job interviews.

Navitas Skilled Futures not only offers the Adult Migrant English Program pathway, but we also deliver additional courses including:

• Skills for Education and Employment
• Pathways to Work, a part of the AMEP
• Foundation Skills For Your Future
• Plus a range of other specialist courses.

No matter which program you study with us, you’ll have access to a range of support services to help you meet your current and future goals.

Our dedicated team of professionals includes Bilingual Support Officers, who can communicate with you in your first language from the moment you walk in; Bilingual Learning Support, to help you learn and understand in the classroom; and Pathway Guidance Advisors who can help you navigate your learning journey and employment options.

We also have a range of free Settlement Support Guides available online to help you ease into your new life in Australia. Check them out here!

How To Choose Where To Study The AMEP: Our Final Thoughts

There you have it – our top 5 tips to help you choose where to study the AMEP!

By following our recommendations in this article, including selecting a reputable education-first provider, ensuring they offer additional support, and checking whether they enrich and contribute to your local community, you’ll find a great Adult Migrant English Program provider in no time.

If you live in New South Wales or the ACT, Navitas Skilled Futures may have courses available in your area. To get started with us, find your closest NSF college location or submit an enquiry form for more information about the program including how to enrol.