Initiatives targeting Recommendation 22

Northern Territory

Indigenous Youth Employment Strategy for Alice Springs

The development of this strategy is being sponsored by the Commonwealth Department of Employment and Work Relations and has facilitated the collaboration and cooperation of government agencies, non-government agencies and the private sector in Alice Springs to develop and support this strategy.

The development of the strategy will be completed by April 2002 and the implementation of strategy elements should commence later in the year. The strategy will focus on supporting the private sector to employ young Indigenous people in Alice Springs. Through the strategy support will be available for young Indigenous people who have traditionally had difficulty in accessing and maintaining full time employment.

Elements of the strategy will include increasing private sector awareness of youth needs; linking with school based programs and supporting employers to participate in work experience and New Apprenticeship programs; providing a point of contact for employers to access programs to support Indigenous employment; providing mentoring support for employers and employees; and encouraging and supporting part time employment of Indigenous students to increase understanding of work culture.

Target group: Young Indigenous people of Alice Springs

Coverage: Alice Springs

Timeframe: Ongoing

Responsible agency: Department of the Chief Minister.

Website: www.nt.gov.au/dcm/

Vocational Education

In order to improve the relevance of school based education, improve retention rates and school to work transition rates, Labor in its position paper "Putting Kids First - Better Territory Schools" undertook to allow the extension of vocational education to the early years of secondary education, to allow a greater emphasis on school to work Transition programs at an earlier stage of schooling.

A whole of community approach will be encouraged to ensure employment opportunities are identified, to improve support from parents and other members of the community, and to reinforce the school as a facilitator of programs that provide school to work pathways.

Target group: The project is designed to cater for the significant number of students who leave school at the end of year 10. Up to now VET programs have been available to Year 11 and 12 students in urban schools and to 15-19 year old students in remote schools.

Coverage: This project will allow for an extension of VET programs to Years 9 and 10 in the existing 22 urban schools and to 14-19 year old students in remote schools across the Northern Territory.

Timeframe: January 2002 to June 2005

Responsible agency: Department of Employment, Education and Training.