Updates
Jobs Australia Foundation Community Leader scholarships have provided 5 Indigenous Community leaders the opportunity to attend the Indigenous Education Leadership Centre's Stronger Smarter Program, with their Principals.
Kurt shares his hopes for his school and community with participants
The first scholarship recipients:
• Kurt Beahan, Community Worker - Glenroi Heights Public School, NSW
• Darryl Andy, Koori Educator - Bairnsdale Secondary College, VIC
Darryl Andy, Koori Educator at Bairnsdale Secondary College
Both Kurt and Darryl have now completed the Stronger Smarter program including their follow up residential held at Loganlea High School, SE QLD in February. They now look forward to "creating a culture of high expectation of school staff towards Indigneous students".
Three new keen and committed Community leaders have just completed their first residential program in April and are looking forward to the follow up at the end of May. Video and more pictures from this program will be posted soon.
Norm & Stephen of Toomelah Public School have completed their first residential of the Stronger Smarter Program
• Stephen Edwards, Toomelah Public School, Boggabilla NSW
• Norm McGrady, Toomelah Public School, Boggabilla NSW
• Sharna Beahan, Calare Public School, Orange NSW
Employment Focus, a long term member of Jobs Australia based in Heidelberg, a Norther inner suburb of Melbourne, have committed $10,000 to the Jobs Australia Foundation. This money will offer two scholarships for principals in their local region to attend the Stronger Smarter Principals program offered by Jobs Australia Foundation's partner, Indigenous Education Leadership Institute.
Employment Focus is a committed community based non-profit organisation providing a holistic blend of recruitment, training and employment services to employers and job seekers. They are also a Registered Training Organisation with over 27 years of experience.
The official launch of the Jobs Australia Foundation was held on day two of the Jobs Australia 2008 National Conference in Brisbane, to 450 delegates. David Thompson, Chair of the foundation announced the first grants under the foundation's Indigenous Leadership Initiative.
The first recipient was the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre and the second, Indigenous Education Learning Institute.
David reiterated Jobs Australia’s ongoing financial commitment to the foundation. He also encouraged Jobs Australia members to think about setting up their own foundation or to consider a regular contribution to Jobs Australia Foundation.
Media release
June 30, 2008
Two bold new programs to improve leadership in struggling indigenous communities
have won nearly $200 000 funding from a new foundation set up by some of the nation’s
leading employment providers.
Jobs Australia is the peak body for non-profit employment and training providers
across the country, and has established the Jobs Australia Foundation to help seriously
disadvantaged communities.
Its first two grants have been won by the Indigenous Education Leadership Institute
and the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre. The grants will be used to try to
improve the education of indigenous children, and the future of Aboriginal communities
by fostering a new generation of leaders.
Jobs Australia Foundation Chair David Thompson says “leadership is a vital strategy to
empower indigenous people and communities to get the equity and the fair go they need
and deserve.”
The Indigenous Education Leadership Institute has won funding to expand its successful
Stronger Smarter Principal Leadership Program, to offer the program to other indigenous
community leaders. The Stronger Smarter program features a five day residential
course for leaders, to learn how to build better relationships with students. The existing
program is already improving school test results in indigenous communities, and
Executive Director Dr Chris Sarra says “in school communities where principals and
community leaders work respectfully together, great things happen. I’m honoured that
the Jobs Australia Foundation has given us this opportunity to support Indigenous
leadership in education.”
The Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre will use its grant to set up a National
Indigenous Leadership Coaching Program for graduates of its accredited training
courses. The program will offer coaching from indigenous and non-indigenous leaders in
an area of leadership graduates wish to develop. Graduates will also be given the
opportunity to become volunteer coaches themselves. The AILC believes better
networking among indigenous leaders will lead to improvements in disadvantaged
communities.
Mr Thompson says Jobs Australia set up the Foundation to “use some of our resources
to address poverty and disadvantage in Australia. We also wanted to provide an
example which our members could emulate either through the Foundation or by setting
up their own.”
For more information contact:
Amanda Watt
Project Manager - Jobs Australia
03 9349 3699 / 0408 343 513
