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Central Land Council [CLC] as the agency administering the Warlpiri Education and Training Trust (WETT) commissioned this report into Aboriginal education and training focusing on remote Australia. The report is intended to provide clear models of Aboriginal education and training approaches and structures and identify some broad options for support under WETT, which receives royalties from mining activity in the Tanami region. These options are then to be the subject of thorough consultations by CLC staff with Warlpiri people in the four Warlpiri communities (Yuendumu, Lajamanu, Willowra and Nyirrpi) and relevant others. That consultation is intended to culminate in the development of several regional education and training programs (to be funded and supported by WETT) that will make a significant difference to education and training outcomes amongst Warlpiri people.

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In 1998, the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) and the Department of Family and Community Services, Indigenous Policy Unit (IPU), undertook research into how the aspirations of young Indigenous people in remote regions match the Commonwealth government’s income support programs for the unemployed. The aim was to assess the relevance of two particular programs, Newstart and Youth Allowance, and propose how they might be made more relevant. The project aimed to be longitudinal, covering the five years between 1999 and 2003, and analysed data from surveys of a sample of Indigenous males and females aged between 15 and 24 in two remote locations of Australia, the Kimberley and Torres Strait. Three interrelated discussion papers resulted from an initial survey in Torres Strait. The papers (indexed at TD/TNC 75.335, TD/TNC 75.337 and TD/TNC 75.344) examine job searching, career aspirations, orientation to work, and education and training.

This paper aims to determine what role, if any, young Torres Strait Islanders see education and training playing in their future careers. It examines the pattern of secondary education and training within the survey sample. The findings reveal that these young people do value education and training as a form of investment that will enable them to develop their careers. The general perception of education was positive. Staying on at school to Year 12 to improve career prospects sometimes appeared to be compromised by family commitments. Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) were found to facilitate career pathways but was not in itself sufficient. Relevant levels of infrastructure, instructors and a commitment from community leaders were also required if communities were to have the capacity to train their young people. Show less

This paper reviews the reform to the vocational education and training (VET) sector over the last ten years in the context of indigenous participation. It focuses on the five objectives of 'A bridge to the future: Australia's national strategy for vocational education and training' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/LMR 85.683]: (1) equipping Australians for the world of work; (2) enhancing mobility in the labour market; (3) achieving equitable outcomes in VET; (4) increasing investment in training; and (5) maximising the value of public VET expenditure. These objectives underpin the policy framework that has driven VET reform. Their implications for indigenous participation in the VET sector are also discussed.

'A bridge to the future: Australia's national strategy for vocational education and training 1998-2003' is available in VOCEDplus at TD/LMR 85.683. Show less

The social and educational disengagement of Indigenous youth, who see education and training as irrelevant to their lives and experiences, is a looming crisis for many Indigenous communities in remote Australia. This paper is an exploration of a youth program in Canada, the Junior Canadian Rangers (JCRs), that addresses a similar crisis in that country. The Canadian program is of national importance to Canada in the context of not only community stability and capacity development but also border security, marine management in coastal areas and in search and rescue services. While Australia has a Defence Force Cadet program that operates in a limited number of Indigenous communities, it is a more traditional and much smaller cadet program. This paper suggests there is value in adapting some of the components of the Canadian program in Australia. The paper begins with an analysis of the educational disengagement of young Indigenous people in remote Australia. Then, as background for a description of the JCR program, the paper provides a brief comparison of Australia and Canada, outlining a few of the cultural, historical and geographic similarities. The paper goes on to provide a detailed overview of the JCR program, its aims, history, structure and pedagogical underpinnings. The paper closes with some discussion of the value of the program for Canada, the potential value of some version of the program or its elements for Australia and some insights for Australia from the Canadian experience.

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In 1998, the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) and the Department of Family and Community Services, Indigenous Policy Unit (IPU) undertook research into how the aspirations of young Indigenous people in remote regions match the Commonwealth government’s income support programs for the unemployed. The aim was to assess the relevance of two particular programs, Newstart and Youth Allowance, and propose how they might be made more relevant. The project aimed to be longitudinal, covering the five years between 1999 and 2003, and analysed data from surveys of a sample of Indigenous males and females aged between 15 and 24 in two remote locations of Australia, the Kimberley and Torres Strait. Three interrelated discussion papers resulted from an initial survey in Torres Strait. The papers (indexed at TD/TNC 75.335, TD/TNC 75.337 and TD/TNC 75.344) examine job searching, career aspirations, orientation to work, and education and training.

This paper examines the strategies that young people in Torres Strait adopt to further their careers. The survey revealed that they are likely to use informal strategies when searching for jobs or training. These strategies include approaching employers and trainers directly or using the contacts of family or friends. They are less likely to use the formal job-search facilities of Centrelink and Job Network. Payments such as Newstart appear to lack the flexibility to allow people to move on and off payments quickly to take up occasional job opportunities. Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) appear to be more flexible. The results suggest that people do not always know what and where formal labour market services are available. It is proposed that in order to improve young people’s access to the labour market and career options through Centrelink and Job Network, these agencies should do more to advertise their services. The secondary school system is proposed as a possible means of achieving this. Show less

In 1998, the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) and the Department of Family and Community Services, Indigenous Policy Unit (IPU), undertook research into how the aspirations of young Indigenous people in remote regions match the Commonwealth government’s income support programs for the unemployed. The aim was to assess the relevance of two particular programs, Newstart and Youth Allowance, and propose how they might be made more relevant. The project aimed to be longitudinal, covering the five years between 1999 and 2003, and analysed data from surveys of a sample of Indigenous males and females aged between 15 and 24 in two remote locations of Australia, the Kimberley and Torres Strait. Three interrelated discussion papers resulted from an initial survey in Torres Strait. The papers (indexed at TD/TNC 75.335, TD/TNC 75.337 and TD/TNC 75.344) examine job searching, career aspirations, orientation to work, and education and training.

This paper aims to identify how young Torres Strait Islanders view their careers and to assess their orientation or approach to work. The survey revealed that young Torres Strait Islanders often express their view of their future in terms of their work. However, commitments to career may have to be balanced with those to family. Notions of career are influenced by their social and economic environment and by cultural background. In some respects, Indigenous youth approached work in a similar way to other young people. They placed high value on work that is interesting, reasonably paid and secure, and with the potential to help in achieving career goals. The Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) scheme with its part-time work opportunities on community projects was viewed negatively by many young people but they valued its potential in some communities to provide career pathways in the form of full time positions, traineeships or apprenticeships. Show less

The West Kimberley region of Western Australia is the latest potential focus of the minerals boom currently sweeping many parts of remote Australia. The major impetus is provided by the Browse gas project off the North West Shelf, while other mining initiatives are emergent alongside an expansion of tourism and aquaculture industries. These stirrings in the regional economy are set against a background of new administrative arrangements in Indigenous affairs and sustained projected growth in the Indigenous population. Not surprisingly, there have been growing demands for a detailed profile of socioeconomic conditions in the region set within a framework of understanding the dynamics of Indigenous labour demand and supply. In responding to this need, this study injects statistical information and analysis into deliberations regarding development futures and their possible impacts in the region. As such, it also provides a baseline against which any subsequent monitoring of impacts can take place.

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This paper was presented at the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) Conference on Indigenous Socioeconomic Outcomes: Assessing Recent Evidence, held at The Australian National University in August 2005. Drawing on the 2002 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS), the conference aimed to present the latest evidence on Indigenous economic and social status, and family and community life, and discuss its implications for government policy. Various presentations provided an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the NATSISS methodology and the quality of the data. In this paper, the authors provide an overview of the labour market information available in the 2002 NATSISS and describe some of the key strengths and limitations of the data. The three main areas where the 2002 NATSISS data has advantages over the census for the analysis of labour market issues are: (1) the accurate identification of Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) scheme employment; (2) the capacity for analysis of labour market issues in very remote areas of Australia; and (3) the provision of information on a wide range of unusual social, demographic, cultural, and economic variables with the potential to increase understanding of labour market outcomes. The survey also provides new information on participation in vocational education and training (VET). The data set is limited by its lack of useful information about labour market experience, specifically the length of time individuals have spent in paid employment or how long employed people have been in their current place of work. The extent of this problem is illustrated by econometric modelling in the areas of wages and being in employment. The results are compared with the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. The authors conclude that while the survey will enhance understanding of labour market outcomes, ‘its cross-sectional nature will make the identification of some causal relationships difficult, and in some cases, impossible’. They recommend serious consideration be given to undertaking a longitudinal labour market study for the Indigenous population.

Selected individual papers are indexed at TD/TNC 86.603 and TD/TNC 86.604. Show less

This paper was presented at the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) Conference on Indigenous Socioeconomic Outcomes: Assessing Recent Evidence, held at The Australian National University in August 2005. Drawing on the 2002 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS), the conference aimed to present the latest evidence on Indigenous economic and social status, and family and community life, and discuss its implications for government policy. Various presentations provided an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the NATSISS methodology and the quality of the data. In this paper, the author discusses the contribution of the 2002 NATSISS to Indigenous education and training related issues. The paper has three main aims: to contrast the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey and 2002 NATSISS in terms of focus and content related to Indigenous education and training; to summarise the key education and training findings of the 2002 NATSISS; and to attempt an assessment of the value of the education and training components of any future NATSISS and pose the question, ‘is it really worth all the trouble’? In contrasting the 1994 and 2002 surveys, the author explores the kinds of questions and data collected in both surveys to reveal that the 2002 survey asks less questions about education and training, consequently reducing the volume of data collected. The 2002 survey reports gains (essentially a doubling) in non-school qualifications at both the degree and above level and the certificate/diploma level over the eight year period. A less dramatic but significant finding is that there has been an increase in the number of people who report that they have no non-school qualification. In terms of the usefulness of data collected through future NATSISS for education and training, the conclusion is that, although there is now ample and increasingly good data about the experience of Indigenous Australians in education and training, the real power of the NATSISS is the capacity, not available in other surveys, for exploring linkages among a broad range of variables. Examples are how education relates to health, or how training relates to Internet use. This capacity renders the survey useful in investigating how to address Indigenous needs.

Selected individual papers are indexed at TD/TNC 86.603 and TD/TNC 86.604. Show less