Midland Indigenous Youth Program

1. Midland Indigenous Youth Program Swan Valley Cluster (Swan View SHS, Governor Stirling SHS and Lockridge SHS)

2. Background: • The Swan Education District has the largest number of Indigenous students outside of the Kimberley's and Swan View SHS, Governor Stirling SHS and Lockridge SHS have the highest secondary Indigenous enrolments in the Swan Education District. • Schools have had success at getting students to Secondary Graduation (WACE – end of year 12) • Data indicated that students leaving High School were, in many cases “lost”

3. Results: The Midland Indigenous Youth Project (MIYP) is assisting Indigenous young people to make a successful transition from school to work: • It significantly increases the proportion of youths in the labour force or in further education; • It reduces the number of young people who would be classified as ‘at risk’ of continuing disadvantage; • It reduces the risk of Indigenous youths entering the criminal justice system; • It increases the youth’s sense of pride and purpose and helps overcome their sense of being excluded from mainstream Australian society because of their race;

4. Results (continued): • It is having a growing ripple effect on employment amongst the youths’ extended families, on younger students attitudes to staying at school and on the sense of hope in the local Indigenous community; • It is being contacted spontaneously by people offering employment and tertiary education options for Indigenous youths; • It provides an excellent demonstration model of ‘what works’ in helping Indigenous youth succeed at study or work; • It provides a model for corporate sponsors interested in increasing Indigenous employment.

5. Results (continued): • In Perth 67% of Indigenous youths aged 15 to 19 are employed, actively looking for work or in further education. For the youths involved in the Midland Indigenous Youth Project this has been raised to 90%. • In Perth 33% of Indigenous youths aged 15 to 19 are considered to be ‘at risk’ of continuing the cycle of Indigenous disadvantage. For MIYP youths this is reduced to 10%. • Long term unemployed parents, uncles and older siblings of MIYP youths are starting to ask for assistance with job opportunities and applications because they now see employment as a realistic goal.

8. Key reasons for MIYP’s success: • building strong trusting relationships with the Indigenous young person and their family; • the engagement of the local Indigenous community; • employing local Aboriginal parents as workers in the team; • seamless integration with the school retention program starting in the last three years of school and continuing to the workplace; • three high schools working in partnership; • the commitment of the people involved and their ‘whatever it takes’ attitude to achieving results;

9. Key reasons for MIYP’s success (continued): • the extensive use of work experience and workplace visits in the final two years of school; • the employment focused information forums for students and parents; • the wide range of employment options that are available; • the engagement of a mutually supportive cohort of youths; • continuing support and mentoring in the workplace; • strategic leadership; • corporate support and a ‘social entrepreneur’ approach.

10. Challenges & Acknowledgements: Challenges: • Sustainability • Funding • Staffing Acknowledgements: • Beacon Foundation – Bill Lawson • Swan Education District – Rose Moroz

11. Thank you Rob Nairn, Geri Hardy, Anne Robinson, Tanya Cavanagh March 2008.

12. THE IMPORTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS: Participants in MIYP report they: • have greater economic security; • have more choices in their lives; • feel proud of what they are achieving; • feel valued; • feel more a part of the society in which they live; • are better equipped to deal with the racism and negativity they encounter; • feel less angry toward the society around them; • feel they have broken out of a welfare mentality; “have a reason for getting up in the morning” MIYP Participant “These kids have to deal with an anger that white society would never experience. You need to understand that they are always followed around closely in shops by security staff. People in Midland Gate (local shopping centre) stay away from them. My boy was stopped by the police 11 times in one week ’cause he had a car and good clothes. His friend with a job in Kununurra was made to lie on the ground and was searched outside a shop in Perth. A job helps them deal with the anger - they feel proud of themselves.” Parent March 2007

13. THE IMPORTANCE FOR FAMILIES: Families of the participants: • feel proud of their kids; • have an increased household income; • see signs of hope and opportunity; • feel included and valued by the project; • are starting to see employment and economic independence as a realistic possibility within the extended family. One mother of ten interviewed for this study pointed out the impact of the success of her son in getting a job on the younger members of the family. She remarked on how much more focused and interested in school and eventually getting a job they were in comparison to the children older than the MIYP participant. As she said; “Its made a big difference in our family”.

14. THE IMPORTANCE FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS: Indigenous children when making choices about going to school: • see that school attendance and achievement can lead somewhere; • have role models that are relevant, local and ‘just like us’ showing how to break out of disadvantage.

15. THE IMPORTANCE FOR THE LOCAL INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY: • “The MIYP has had a big impact in the local community” Parent & Aboriginal & Islander Education Worker • Parents appreciated the extent to which the MIYP and the schools involved the local community. They commented on the impact of the project on local Indigenous people – particularly the effect of highly visible local employment such as an Indigenous girl working in retail in the local shopping centre and another girl working locally as a hairdresser.