Youth Transitions Division Update Improving Pathways and Destinations for Koorie Students Forum 16 November 2009

1. Youth Transitions Division UpdateImproving Pathways and Destinations for Koorie Students Forum16 November 2009 Edmund Misson, General Manager

2. Student Mapping Tool • Through Wannik, use of the Student Mapping Tool is now compulsory for all Victorian Government Schools with one or more Koorie enrolments – both Primary and Secondary schools • The Tool is a pre-programmed Excel spreadsheet which displays data held by the school on risk factors of all students which may contribute to disengagement or early leaving • Rollout through Wannik has been supported by PD on the Mapping Tool in 2009 for Principals and Assistant Principals across Victoria – feedback on the forums has been extremely positive

3. Managed Individual Pathways (MIPs) Initiative • Through Wannik, funding has been provided to extend the Managed Individual Pathways (MIPs) Initiative to Koorie Year 8 and 9 students • These students must be provided with individualised support to develop a Career Action Plan, and with associated supports to ensure a successful transition through the compulsory years and school completion into further education, training or full time employment

4. Youth Transition Support Initiative • Funding provided for 3 Transition Youth Workers to work specifically with Indigenous young people for 12 months • The three extra Indigenous Youth Transition Workers funded through the Wannik Strategy have been employed in Morwell, Shepparton and Darebin. • These workers have a specific focus on Indigenous students at risk of disengaging from education.

5. Overview of National Partnerships in Education National Partnership on Youth Attainment and Transitions (July 2009) National Career Development Youth Connections School Business Community Partnership Brokers Maximising Engagement, Attainment and Successful Transitions ‘Smarter Schools’ National Partnerships (Nov 2008) NP on Low SES School Communities NP on Literacy and Numeracy NP on Quality Teaching

6. COAG Schooling targets • Lift the Year 12 or equivalent attainment rate to 90 percent by 2015; • Halve the gap for Indigenous students in reading, writing and numeracy within a decade; and • Halve the gap for Indigenous students in Year 12 or equivalent attainment rates by 2020.

7. NP on Youth Attainment and Transitions:Support for indigenous young people Youth Connections providers need to be responsive to the needs of all communities. In some regions across Victoria, the cohorts of young people living in the region means that providers in those regions are required to pay particular attention to the needs of indigenous young people. In such regions: Staff should have cultural competency and demonstrated experience in working with the relevant communities It is anticipated that providers in these regions would employ staff in Identified Positions, in accordance with Victoria’s Identified Position policy Enhanced LLENs have primary function to engage with stakeholders and community to close the gap in education, training and employment for indigenous young people, and have strategic goal to address disadvantage by paying particular attention to the needs of indigenous young people across Victoria.