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Initiatives targeting Recommendation 21QueenslandAlternative Schooling Provision To support students at risk, a trial of alternative schooling provision at five Education Queensland sites commenced in Term 2, 2000. In the trial, the focus is on identifying and supporting students at greatest risk of not completing schooling and developing alternative education programs and settings for students who have difficulty with conventional school and disciplinary structures. The trial provides both short and long term education programs for students aged 10 to 15 years. Each of the trial sites is an annexe of a designated school and is managed and supported by the local cluster of schools. Target group: Young people aged 10-15 years at greatest risk of not completing schooling. Coverage: Nominated schools which include five sites at Cairns, Capalaba, Deception Bay, Silkstone and Woodridge Timeframe: Ongoing: subject to review. The alternative schooling provision commenced in Term 2, 2000. The current review by Griffith University will inform future planning and development of the program. Responsible agency: Education Queensland Contact: Managers Website: www.education.qld.gov.au Alternative Schooling Programs for Indigenous Youth During 2000/2001, Education Queensland established five (5) pilot Alternative Schooling programs to better meet the needs of students at educational risk. Additional school-community based programs were developed to meet local needs. For example, Edmund Rice Family in partnership with Murgon State High School developed a ‘Future Options’ program to target Indigenous youth disconnected from mainstream schooling services. This program adopted an interagency approach with justice and community youth organisations to support this cohort in an ‘off-campus’ approach. Education Queensland has also supported the Mitchell Outstation Project aimed at supporting Indigenous youth at risk of suspension/exclusion in the South West Queensland region. Common elements to the ‘Future Options’, Mitchell Outstation and other similar localised programs include Literacy and Numeracy, Cultural Studies and Lifeskills, which included personal development and vocational skills. Program input from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was also seen as a critical factor. It is envisaged that other schools will adopt alternative education/schooling programs based on the successful practices of these initiatives. During 2001, Education Queensland conducted an extensive review of alternative schooling programs with a view to informing future directions. Additional activities will be developed over 2001-2004 under the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy. This initiative includes elements of professional development and training of alternative schooling personnel, VET modules, community involvement and staffing. It includes both alternative schooling sites as well as the two Youth Detention Centres in Townsville and Brisbane. Target group: Indigenous Youth at Risk Coverage: State wide with five specific sites and localised activities Timeframe: Ongoing 2001/2002 Responsible agency: Education Queensland Contact: Indigenous Education Programs Website: http://education.qld.gov.au/tal/atsi Students Link with Industry Project The Students Link with Industry Project involves Indigenous high school students from Years 9 and 10 attending TAFE or work placement one day a week throughout the year. During this time the students undertake a Certificate I in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Educational and Vocational Access. This project has provided the opportunity for young Indigenous high school students to access more vocational training and work placement than would normally occur and addresses the lower retention rates of Indigenous students at school, a problem recognised by the community and supported by national statistics. Target group: Indigenous high school students Coverage: Mackay region Timeframe: 2000-2001 Responsible agency: TAFE Queensland, Department of Employment and Training, Education Queensland, Mackay Region School Industry Links Scheme Contact: Project Officer Website: www.tafe.net/info/ Northern Corridor Education Precinct The Northern Corridor Education Precinct aims to strengthen linkages between industry and agencies delivering education and training services to youth. Transition officers work with all education sectors, youth and community agencies to develop cross sectoral links to assist the transition from school to further training and education or work. Target group: Education staff, youth and community workers, industry. Coverage: Brisbane North Timeframe: 2002 Responsible agency: TAFE Queensland, Department of Employment and Training Contact: Transition Officer Website: www.tafe.net/info/ Special Needs Program The Special Needs Program is an extension of the Youth at Risk Program offering students at risk of leaving school and more specifically, students with special needs the assistance to enter vocational education and training programs in Woodwork and Horticulture. Target group: School students with special needs aged 15-17 years. Coverage: 27 schools within the Ipswich region. Timeframe: 2001 Responsible agency: Education Queensland and TAFE Queensland, Department of Employment and Training Contact: Coordinator, Construction Tea, Website: www.tafe.net/info/ Community Training
Partnerships Aims to address key local/regional employment opportunities or issues that require skills development that cannot be adequately or readily addressed through other programs and avenues. A key goal of the program is to maximise the employment opportunities for the local workforce, particularly for those persons who are disadvantaged in the labour market and otherwise unable to access necessary training. Training needs to be tailored in recognition of the needs of participants – and focused on the identified local and regional employment opportunities. Target group: Unemployed and under employed. Coverage: 11 pilots and 70 projects throughout Queensland. It is anticipated that of the 5,133 participants who will be assisted through these projects, 1,165 will be in the 15-24 age group. Timeframe: 2000/2004. Responsible agency: Department of Employment and Training Contact: Manager Community Training Partnerships Website: www.employment.qld.gov.au Get Set For Work Intensive training and employment assistance and a wage subsidy for project participants who gain employment. Target group: Unemployed early school leavers aged 15-24 years communities of high youth unemployment. Coverage: 35 projects worth $2.94 million have been approved assisting 952 participants. 89 youths have already gained employment. Activity is limited to 15 areas across the State identified as experiencing high levels of youth unemployment. Timeframe: The program is funded from 1 July 2001 to 30 June 2002. Responsible agency: Department of Employment and Training Contact: Manager Community Employment Programs Website: www.employment.qld.gov.au Community Employment
Assistance Program Community organisations are funded to provide intensive employment and training assistance including post placement support/mentoring. Target Group: Long-term unemployed and those at risk of being long term unemployed. Coverage: State wide. Grants totalling $19 million were approved for 352 projects throughout Queensland for organisations to assist 15,507 long-term unemployed people gain better skills and more job opportunities with 5,826 gaining jobs. 40% of those assisted were youth and 37% who gained employment were youth. Timeframe: The program is funded over six financial years to 30 June 2004. Responsible Agency: Department of Employment and Training Contact: Manager Community Employment Programs Website: www.employment.qld.gov.au Community Jobs Plan Provides opportunities for work on a range of public works, community and environmental projects of benefit to the broader community with an emphasis on participants gaining training, competencies and work skills in activities that will lead to employment opportunities relevant to local labour market demands. Target group: Long-term unemployed and those at risk of being long term unemployed. Coverage: 539 projects throughout Queensland with grant funding of $76.3 million to employ 6,618 long-term unemployed people. Youth employment accounts for 46% or 3,045 jobs. Timeframe: The program is funded over six financial years to 30 June 2004. Responsible Agency: Department of Employment and Training Contact: Manager Community Employment Programs Website: www.employment.qld.gov.au Public Sector Employment
Program Aims to increase the number of additional apprenticeships and traineeships in public sector. It focuses on employing additional apprentices and additional trainees in public sector agencies including state government departments, local government, state statutory authorities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Councils. This program has a high youth participation rate with approximately 70% of participants being aged between 15 and 24 years. Approximately 69% of participants have found employment or further education and training at the conclusion of this program. Target group: All job seekers are encouraged to apply and the following targets exist:
Coverage: The program is available across the State with approximately 62% of places filled outside the south east corner. Timeframe: The program commenced in October 1998 and aims to generate 13,400 additional trainees and 500 additional apprentices in public sector agencies over six financial years. Responsible Agency: Department of Employment and Training. Contact: Manager Employment Support Programs Website: www.employment.qld.gov.au Public Sector School-Based
Apprenticeships and Traineeships Initiative Public sector school based traineeships and apprenticeships have been available since 1 July 2001. The program supports the transition from school to work by allowing students (typically years 11 and 12) to achieve a senior certificate while they train in an industry area to achieve nationally recognised VET qualifications Public sector agencies receive up to $4,000 for each school based placement and the trainees and apprentices are required to work for the department for at least 96 days over the two-year period. Initially the program was only available to State Government departments but was recently expanded to include local government agencies, state statutory authorities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community councils. This is expected to increase the geographical spread of school based opportunities, diversify the traineeship and apprenticeship models available and provide additional employment based learning opportunities for disadvantaged young people, including Indigenous youth in remote locations. Target group: Students (typically years 11 and 12) are encouraged to apply. Coverage: The program is available across the State. The recent extension of the program to all public sector agencies is expected to increase the geographical spread of school based apprentices and trainees. Timeframe: The program commenced in July 2001 and funding is available over a three-year period. Responsible Agency: Department of Employment and Training Contact: Manager Employment Support Programs Website: www.employment.qld.gov.au Youth for the Environment and
Local Communities Aims to create 1,200 additional traineeships in the areas of environmental protection, horticulture and waste management and targets young people aged between 15-24. Agencies eligible for funding include local government agencies, state government departments, state statutory authorities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community councils and not-for profit community organisations. Target group: The program targets youth aged between 15-24 years of age and the following targets exist:
Coverage: The Initiative is available across the State. Timeframe: The program commenced in July 2001 and funding is available over a two-year period. Responsible Agency: Department of Employment and Training Contact: Manager Employment Support Programs Website: www.employment.qld.gov.au Private Sector Employment
Initiative To address Queensland’s current and emerging skill shortages by facilitating the engagement of additional apprentices and trainees in the private sector thereby reducing the unemployment level and ensuring Queensland’s future skills requirements will be met. Target group: Private sector employers and group training organisations which employ apprentices and trainees in identified skill shortage areas/occupations and meet the relevant criteria. Coverage: 86% of additional apprentices and trainees employed across the State between October 1998 and 31 March 2002 have been young people under the age of 25 years. Timeframe: The program is funded over six financial years to 30 June 2004. Responsible Agency: Department of Employment and Training. Contact: Manager Employment Support Programs Website: www.employment.qld.gov.au The Apprenticeship and Training System Apprenticeships and traineeships do not specifically target young people who are not participating in mainstream education, however they do represent a significant employment and training destination for young people in general. As an employment based means of acquiring a qualification they can provide an integrated model of skills development, which features complementary, yet distinct roles performed by employers and registered training organisations. Apprenticeships and traineeships can also be undertaken whilst a young person is undertaking their schooling and this can be in recognition of the individual’s needs to develop skills not otherwise achievable through mainstream education options. Young people with specific learning or development needs, attract further support while undertaking their apprenticeship or traineeship. Target group: Non specific, though predominantly young people. Coverage: Queensland Timeframe: Ongoing Responsible agency: Department of Employment and Training Contact: Director, Training Operations Website: http://www.training.qld.gov.au/ Indigenous Nursing Scholarship Program Five nursing scholarships are offered to first year Indigenous nursing students. Target group: First year Indigenous nursing students. Coverage: Five positions statewide Timeframe: Ongoing Responsible agency: Queensland Health Contact: Project Officer Website: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/orh/qhrss/qhrss.htm Men's Health Project Strong in the City Aims to improve the health and well-being of Indigenous people, with a specific emphasis on men and families, by defining and enhancing social capital, and through building sustainable health promotion capacity. The Strong in the City project takes an innovative approach to health and health promotion, in recognising the important role of our communities in improving health outcomes. That is, studies have shown that people tend to have better health outcomes and a better sense of well being when they have a greater sense of belonging, value and trust in their communities. This project aims to find out how this works for Murri and Islander people in an urban setting and will be achieved by conducting interviews, discussions and photovoice with Indigenous community members. This information will then be used to better inform individuals working within Indigenous communities; promote positive Indigenous images amongst the wider community; and will also direct the next phase of the project. The second phase of the project involves responding to the research findings by working collaboratively with local community groups, workers and organisations to help support them in development and delivery of such initiatives. Target group: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples ages 13 onwards, living in and around Brisbane (for example Inala, Ipswich, Logan, etc). Coverage: Brisbane City Timeframe: 2001/2003 Responsible agency: Queensland Health and University of Queensland Contact: Project Officer Website: www.health.qld.gov.au Community Renewal Program Creation and Development of Youth Space in the Logan area – this project funds the establishment of a youth space in a local child care facility. It targets young people (12-16 years) and provides a venue for a variety of appropriate and ongoing recreational and team building activities. Eagleby Youth Activity Space – this initiative will establish a comprehensive purpose built complex that will be utilised by young people for a range of social, cultural, recreational, educational and support services. It will also encourage the partnership of local youth, community and government to establish the space and develop the activities. Target group: Young people Coverage: A number of community renewal communities. Timeframe: Various Responsible agency: Department of Housing Contact: Senior Project Officer Website: www.public-housing.qld.gov.au Urban Renewal Program The Department of Housing, through its Urban Renewal Program is active in ten areas of high disadvantage. These areas are characterised by a high proportion of public housing, which are in various stages of deterioration, a declining social infrastructure, a high level of employment and a lack of employment opportunities. The Urban Renewal projects, through Capital funding, provides opportunities for the locally unemployed who are at risk or have been involved in socially unacceptable behaviour. This opportunity is provided with the Department’s involvement in community based organisations such as Challenge Employment and Training and Boystown Linkup. These organisations tender for works such as fencing, landscaping, shed construction, house demolition and concreting etc. Target group: 15-25 year olds affected by childhood abuse, substance abuse, homelessness, crime, domestic violence, poverty, long term unemployment, lack or loss of family support etc Coverage: Logan Corridor, Inala/Ipswich Corridor, Deception Bay and Manoora in Cairns. Timeframe: Ongoing Responsible agency: Department of Housing Contact: Manager Website: www.public-housing.qld.gov.au Post Release Employment Assistance Service The Post Release Employment Assistance Service is a program to assist recently released prisoners to gain and retain employment. The program was piloted in both the Townsville region and South East Queensland. Of the 955 program participants, 107 were Indigenous, 94 of whom were registered in the Townsville program. Twenty-two Indigenous participants were placed into employment from the Townsville program. Target group: Offenders including youth. Coverage: Queensland Timeframe: Pilot commenced in July 2000 Responsible agency: Department of Corrective Services Contact: Adviser Workplace Practices Website: www.dcs.qld.gov.au |
