National Outcomes Report 2018 02 Contents
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National Outcomes Report 2018 02 Contents Contents Chief Executive’s Message 05 National Overview 06 Our Impact 10 MyRoad 12 • What’s it like to be a MyRoad mentor 14 Industry Live 16 High Impact Programs (HIP) 18 • Expanding horizons with High Impact Programs 21 Collective ed. 22 Other Beacon Foundation Activities 26 Our Schools 28 Our Partners 30 References 31 03 04 Chief Executive’s Message Chief Executive’s Message Beacon Foundation experienced a major Or even to explore the opportunities that may milestone in 2018 – 30 years since our be out there and raise their aspirations for the organisation started. It was an opportunity to future. celebrate our success and the difference we Beacon Foundation is, I believe, better equipped have made in supporting young Australians than ever before to provide solutions to the to transition from education to meaningful problems faced by young people. And we are employment. also trying to push the envelope on how we Milestones like this are important because approach these challenges. they bring clarity of purpose. In our Collective ed. initiative, we have started Change is front of mind for me, because the looking at how we influence the entrenched nature of the labour force is fundamentally community and social systems that affect the different to when Beacon Foundation started. life chances and employment prospects of Government and not-for-profit organisations young people in Tasmania. Just as with our have initiated a range of programs in this innovative programs, Beacon Online and High time in order to help young people access Impact Programs, Collective ed. is a cutting- employment. But despite these interventions, edge initiative that is sourcing answers – and youth unemployment is still alarmingly high. actions – to issues of disadvantage directly from young people and their local communities. Against this backdrop, I believe we need to be clearer about impact and what we can do that It is examples like this that highlight to me that really makes a difference. Evidence tells us Beacon Foundation’s work is only ever possible consistently that this is career awareness and because of collaboration and partnership. adaptability. What do I mean by this? I believe Without our corporate supporters, philanthropic ultimately this is about helping young people to bodies, volunteer base, communities, make decisions for their future and giving them businesses, schools and other stakeholders, we the skills to do this. wouldn’t be in a position to have any kind of impact on young people. Nor would we be able Beacon Foundation has always maintained to advocate in a meaningful way on why we that young people can only be prepared by work the way that we do. Collaboration is the being informed. They need awareness about heart of success. the skills, attributes and behaviours that will set them up for future success I am proud of the work of all Beacon Foundation staff and supporters – and I’m looking forward Without this awareness, young people are not to growing our impact in the next 12 months empowered to make decisions. They aren’t able and beyond. to engage in the education and training they Scott Harris need to reach their goals. Chief Executive, Beacon Foundation 05 National Overview National Overview 2018 saw a national conversation on the way Most Australians are familiar with this that we best use the formative years of a narrative. We are the ‘lucky country’ amidst young person’s life to set them up for success. economic downturn faced by other nations. But This conversation saw robust discussion unfortunately our economic success didn’t apply on the value and purpose of education. We equally. Some cohorts and some communities debated the priorities of the education system fared the storm better than others (i). – particularly with competing demands on Young people are the forgotten story in the teachers and educators, a jam-packed syllabus post-GFC economy. Their unemployment has and the life pressures young people face at been persistently high – globally and right across every turn. Australia (ii). Evidence tells us that (iii) It’s fair to say that everyone has an opinion • Prior to the GFC, youth unemployment was on the way our education system should around 8.8% (iv) work. At Beacon Foundation we turn to the • Today, one in three young people are currently evidence at hand; what patterns we see in the unemployed or underemployed (v) labour market and the future workforce. By • Youth unemployment is now more than understanding these changes, we then have the double the overall rate (vi) ability to highlight where the expectations of • Pressures on youth unemployment are employers sit, and the skills and competencies heightened in rural, regional and remote that they need in the future. Most importantly Australia – reaching as high as 65% in areas this lets us understand how and where like the Queensland-Outback region (vii) education can instil the confidence in young • Around a third (30%) of young people tell us people so they are ready to navigate their that they want more work but can’t find it(viii) future. The problem we face There is a persistent story about how young people are faring in society. We often hear about Australia’s relative economic growth, and how as a nation we avoided much of the crash of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). 06 National Overview The labour market is changing for References and Further Reading: young people • David Gonski, Review to Achieve Educational Evidence clearly shows that young people are Excellence in Australian Schools, 2018 struggling in the post GFC economy. They have been presented with a changing work force – https://www.education.gov.au/review-achieve- but without the opportunity of having the skills educational-excellence-australian-schools or the work history of other age groups and • Australia’s Chief Scientist, Dr Alan cohorts. (ix) Finkel, Optimising STEM industry-school Equally, the patterns of work have changed and partnerships: inspiring Australia’s next will continue to do so. The ‘gig economy’ is now generation, 2018 a reality – jobs are becoming more flexible and are more likely to be casual and part-time. (x) https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/2018/05/ optimising-stem-industry-school-partnerships- Jobs of the future are changing. Technological report-released/ advances and globalisation have driven deep adjustments in traditional industry sectors and • Professor John Halsey Independent Review generated growth in new areas. But this has into Regional, Rural and Remote Education, also lead to a decline in many entry level and 2018 manual jobs. https://www.education.gov.au/independent- Beacon Foundation, alongside policy makers, review-regional-rural-and-remote-education educators and other not for profit organisations, continues to question whether we are doing enough to set up the next generation for success. 07 National Overview Our education system Final thoughts Education is one of the cornerstones to Despite the demands from young people, build the skills young people need to make a school and industry partnerships are often successful transition into a new work order. piecemeal across Australia. Beacon Foundation All young people will need: has consistently identified that we need to place more emphasis on building partnerships • Higher levels of appropriate formal so that young people have the skills that education. employers need now – and into the future. (xv) • The right skills for the jobs available. • Skills that will help navigate more We need to be lessening the gaps between complex careers. industry and education – not widening them. And, as always, we need to make sure that But we are experiencing a gap between the those experiencing disadvantage are not being work that is happening in our schools, and the left further behind. demands and needs of the changing workforce. Our success at Beacon Foundation has Young people consistently express the need always been in collaboration; bringing for schools to give them more information together business, industry, schools and the on employment pathways (xi). Work exposure wider community to build real-life education and work readiness activities are proven to be experiences. These experiences support young successful. Young people having employment people to be ready for the future world of work. pathways in school are more likely to be engaged in employment, education or training. This Outcomes Report demonstrates Beacon (xii), (xiii) Foundation’s commitment to strengthening our impact – to forging industry and school Disadvantaged learners have the most to gain connections so that young people are from industry exposure, yet, too often, school- supported in their future endeavours. industry partnerships rely on the social and professional connections that exist within the school community – which risks leaving many disadvantaged students even further behind. (xiv) 08 PHOTO 09 Our Impact Our Impact 849 Delivered activities across all our programs 3,861 Connected industry and business volunteers to students and schools 10 Our Impact Deliv 195 Reached schools across Australia – the majority of which are in areas 23,495 experiencing disadvantage Inspired students to think about their futures Average Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) is 950. Less than 1000 950 signifies disadvantage. 11 Beacon Online MyRoad MyRoad is able to deliver career mentoring The upshot is that young women have to young women in regional, rural and remote embraced learning online, and report that areas, low socio-economic areas, and to MyRoad has given them better understanding students from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait about the skills they need for the workplace, Islander peoples and culturally and linguistically and the resilience and confidence to chase their diverse backgrounds where they might have dreams. limited opportunities to engage with mentors Schools can easily incorporate MyRoad into from diverse job occupations and backgrounds.