Indigenous Project
18-May-2001

Chifley College Youth Enterprise Futures Project ECEF Priority Areas project by Simon Dadley-Moore
“To change the outcomes for YOUTH by creating a culture of ENTERPRISE that increases skills and FUTURE opportunities for the students of Chifley College and local youth, enhancing employment prospects”
Featherdale Mural	Within the CCYEF team a Youth Outreach Coordinator is employed to work with young indigenous people not engaged with the formal education system or in employment. The focus is on indigenous people, but does not exclude non-indigenous young people. This position is part funded by ECEF.
The aims of the Youth Coordinator include: · re-engaging indigenous and other young people with education and training activities. · assisting to engage indigenous and other young people with employment services and other services relevant to their life situations. · providing opportunities for self-employment, self-managed employment or mainstream employment for indigenous early school leavers. OUTCOMES (to date) Three workshops have been developed to address specific needs of Mt Druitt youth. · “Topping Out”- motivational/ goal setting program designed to focus young people on achieving short-term goals. Thus building confidence and self-esteem, proving to themselves that they can succeed. · Educational program which equips young people for entry into further education and/or training. · Employment program which assists with resume preparation and job hunting skills. 27 young people have thus far participated in at least one workshop As a result: 9 have re-entered High School 1 is attending TAFE 2 are attending/have attended other formal training 1 is employed I have further been instrumental in setting up two mini business enterprises. Through participation in these, young indigenous people in Mt Druitt are learning practical and transferable skills. Teamwork and communication skills are enhanced, as well as other aspects of running a mini business. One such enterprise is the production and sale of Coffee ‘basher’s’. The Coffee ‘basher’ is used with a Cappuccino machine to ‘bash’ or empty the used grounds after making the coffee. They are cheap to make and a market has been sourced through a supplier who states he can sell approximately 200 – 400 per year. This is a joint school, community project. An industrial arts class is assembling the Coffee ‘Bashers’. The finished ‘Bashers’ are then delivered to Bunnal Arts and Crafts, a local community organisation, where they are painted with indigenous designs, signed by the young person and turned into a piece of art. The young people involved are unemployed early school leavers recruited by Uncle Bill (a community elder) and Billy Wallace (indigenous artist). The project is currently with the Industrial Arts class, who are busy producing the raw product. A further project has been the painting of an indigenous mural at Featherdale Wildlife Park. The mural is located in the "learning burrow". This is an area where primary school students on excursion attend educational programs. It is almost complete and an opening day is being planned involving local press, council members and indigenous elders. The mural has been painted by two young people from Mt Druitt, under the supervision of Uncle Bill and artist Billy Wallace from Bunnal Arts and Crafts. The mural will be officially opened by Aunty Mavis a local elder. Featherdale are extremely impressed with the mural and all involved are excited about the positive advertisement it presents for the young people of Mt Druitt. Word has already spread and it is envisaged that the young artists will receive further contracts to complete murals at schools and for council etc. As well as developing and running workshops for early school leavers and setting up mini enterprises, I am working closely with many government, non-government organisations and community services to provide a holistic approach to addressing the needs of the indigenous young people in Mt Druitt. I work at the Holy Family Education Centre one day a week making me more accessible to the community. I am Secretary of the Bunnal Arts & Crafts indigenous organization and was a member of the working party organising the Muru Aboriginal Careers Expo. I am further a member of the working party’s for the Mt Druitt Employment Expo and the Mt Druitt Employment Express newsletter. I have built strong working connections with Reconnect and JPET in Mt Druitt, co-facilitating programs with them on occasions, harnessing our collective skills and expertise. I have fostered a trust and respect in the community with young people and their parents/guardians. The foundations have been laid. Given funding for a second year I am planning to work more closely with the AEA’s (Aboriginal Education Assistant’s) and young people who are at high risk of leaving. This will fulfill a more proactive, early intervention role in increasing the school retention rates of the indigenous youth in Mt Druitt. An angle that desperately needs attention.

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