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Swan Alliance Youth Commitment

coordinator email: Yvonne Hart – yvonne.hart@det.wa.edu.au
coordinator email: [correct as at JAN 2004]

people
- COMMITTEE

reports and resources
- PROGRESS REPORT

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SWAN ALLIANCE YOUTH COMMITMENT
people

•  COMMITTEE [as at JAN 2004]

Graeme Harris (Chair)
Swan Chamber of Commerce and Industry graeme.r.harris@bigpond.com.au		 Ken Byfield
Central Area Regional Training Services (CARTS)
ken@carts.com.au
Yvonne Hart
Swan Education District Office yvonne.hart@det.wa.edu.au		 Rose Elliott
Hungry Jacks
rosee@cfal.com.au
Gay Fortune
Morley Senior High School gay.fortune@det.wa.edu.au		 John Garnaut
Swan Education District Office john.garnaut@det.wa.edu.au
Anne Griffiths
Chamber of Commerce and Industry griffiths@cciwa.com		 Lorraine Hams
Cyril Jackson Senior Campus lorraine.hams@det.wa.edu.au
Warren Hill
Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council (EMRC)
warren.hill@emrc.org.au		 Lyn Southam
Swan TAFE lyn.southam@swantafe.wa.edu.au
Peter Klifunis
Canning/Swan Education District Office
peter.klifunis@det.wa.edu.au		 Dianne Kraljevich
Department of Justice dianne.kraljevich@justice.wa.gov.au
Rose Moroz
Swan Education District Office rose.moroz@det.wa.edu.au		 Craig Nicholas
Department of Education and Training craig.nicholas@det.wa.edu.au
Alan Stirling
North East Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce (Inc)
svma@q-net.net.au		 Fran Van Riessen
Association of Independent Schools of WA fvanriessen@ais.wa.edu.au

 

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SWAN ALLIANCE YOUTH COMMITMENT
reports and resources

• P R O G R E S S   R E P O R T  [as at JAN 2004]

Environmental Scan in progress

An environmental scan by Edith Cowan University researcher Dr Joanne Winter has been completed and is available on request. The scan includes:

• Demographics of the Swan Region
• The learning and work situation of young people in Swan
• Youth participation and aspirations
• Employment patterns and support services
• Community and service organisation profiles

The scan indicates:
• School retention rates in the region vary from 41% - 84%
• Unacceptable numbers of students are lost to the system and cannot be tracked
• Students reported that they got career and decision making information primarily from friends, then family self and school. This was contrary to the school reports of comprehensive counselling and career information
• Problems with public transport access to training and employment opportunities
• Employers reported that:
- They were reluctant to employ young people due to their lack of maturity, lack of workplace engagement and lack of loyalty to the business
- Concerns about the appropriateness and relevance of university education
- Only 20% offered employment opportunities to young people
- They had only superficial alliances with schools
- Lack of agency coordination and lack of youth knowledge of services available

The Strategic Plan has been developed according to the findings of the Environmental Scan.

Community Consultation

A Community Forum was held in May 2001 with over 65 representatives in attendance. From Forum a working party was elected to establish future directions. It is planned to report the findings of the Environmental Scan back to the community. It is also planned to hold a Youth Forum to establish mechanisms for young people to be adequately represented.

Working Parties and Committees

Working parties have been established to improve Career Education in the region and develop Enterprise Education. A Steering Committee sets direction for VET (including Structured Workplace Learning and School based Traineeships) in the region.

Caversham Project 2004

This is a project specifically for young people who are at present disengaged from the community.

» Currently running Certificate III in Art Fundamentals two days each week through Swan TAFE. This is part of the young men’s program. The Enterprise Arts component is the integral aspect of this course. The course covers mosaics, bush furniture, paining, jewellery and sculpture. Mosaics and sculpture will lead into the Garden Art area. $630 of student are was sold through the recent Bassendean Council Youth Festival. Proceeds have been divided according to individual student sale basis. Money made from joint effort commissions, i.e Coca-cola, has been divided equally amongst the students.

» Currently running Certificate I in General Construction two days each week through Swan TAFE. This is part of the young men’s program. Funding allocated to the Construction Directorate of Swan TAFE to deliver this training will run out end of Sept/Oct. The participants are working well ahead of schedule in restoration of the Caversham school site.

» Swan TAFE will offer Certificate III in Art Fundamentals for two days each week for Semester 2 for a young women’s program to run separately from the young men’s program.



CAREER & TRANSITION PROGRAM (CATS)
The aim of the CATS Project is to help students get the right support in planning and making genuine choices about their move through school to further education, training and employment. This will include the development of individual Learning Pathway Plans.

The CATS Project in Swan is hosted and supported by the Swan Alliance, and is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training. A dedicated CATS Coordinator is located in schools working with students, teachers, parents and the community.

A Community Partnership Committee will direct and oversee the project. Members of the Committee have been drawn from schools, training institutions, youth services, local business, local governments and employment networks.

LEARNING PATHWAY PLANS
A Learning Pathway Plan is a flexible, changing document that will set out a young person's career goals and aspirations, and strategies to achieve them. It will outline subject choice, skill development, proposed career pathways, and appropriate ways to move to further education, training and employment.

Learning Pathway Plans will also support young people in identifying and planning for obstacles they may face along the way.

CATS COORDINATOR
The CATS Coordinator will be located in participating schools in the Swan Region to:
Distribute up to date career information, profiling tests and career activities already in use in schools
Conduct interviews with selected students to develop Learning Pathway Plans
Work with teachers to develop Learning Pathway Plans for all Year 8 and 9 students, and to help develop new ideas that target career awareness
Encourage the development of community networks to more effectively support young peoples transition from school to work.

WHAT ARE THE BENFITS?
• The opportunity to share and develop information for a stronger career transition for young students.
• The opportunity to give feedback regarding career awareness.
• The potential to link Learning Pathway Plans with Career Pathway Plans during the student's senior years.
• A community network offering effective support for the transition of students from school to work and further education.
• The opportunity to document and present the unique issues that Youth in Swan face in their attempts to succeed in work and life, and to be part of the national drive to improve career guidance and training options for young people.

TO FIND OUT MORE
Contact the CATS Coordinator to find out ore about the project. Written information can be sent to you.


Career & Transition Project (CATS)
18 Blackboy Way
BEECHBORO WA 6063

Chris Alger
CATS Coordinator
Telephone: 0429 802 036
Facsimile: 9442 6653
Email: algerchris@bigpond.com

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