School: Western Cape College (QLD)
Partner: Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA), Weipa Operations
Western Cape College now has four campuses, each located in different remote communities on the Cape York Peninsula. The total college population is 1300, with 64 per cent identifying as Indigenous. The Weipa campus is the only campus that offers schooling to Year 12. Operating in a remote Indigenous community, the school has faced a range of social problems. A culture used to exist within the student body that school was unimportant and there were no employment options.
At the end of 2004, student data indicated that 42 per cent of the College’s Year 12 graduates were not achieving employment, university or further training, and that only 58 per cent of the 2004 graduates had been retained from the start of senior school. Additionally, 72 per cent of VET certificates obtained were not aligned with local industry employment opportunities and therefore did not lead to positive employment paths. Through meetings with the Weipa Chamber of Commerce, local training providers and Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) it was decided that the school needed to work in partnership with those bodies to create sustainable career pathways. At the same time, RTA needed to find suitable local employees. The WCC-RTA Forum partnership was then established. RTA supported the partnership by the provision of a management consultant, who drafted a Memorandum of Understanding and introduced a Scorecard tracking and reporting structure. This is based on a series of annual targets for a wide range of activities and educational outcomes.
The partnership organised career talks and introduced school based apprenticeships. It was agreed that College students would be given preference in the school based apprenticeship and training selection process, provided they met job requirements. The College committed to allowing students to take every Wednesday off to pursue their apprenticeships and traineeships, and the College and RTA work together to ensure that students have the skills, knowledge and awareness required to pass aptitude tests. The College has also secured the employment of a School Based Apprenticeship and Trainee Officer who manages these processes and ensures that students are case managed during placement. A Work Readiness project was developed by the College as a partnership between the College, Far North Queensland TAFE and the Chamber of Commerce to better prepare students with low literacy and numeracy for the workplace. The project is funded by a Federal Government grant, and includes resume writing and interview preparation, assistance in opening bank accounts and gaining tax file numbers, and help in obtaining driving licences so that students can transport themselves to work.
In order to raise the expectations of students, a communications strategy was devised to ensure that the positive outcomes that students were now achieving were made known to staff, students and the broader community. Some of the communication strategies used included writing media releases, publicising annual student destination data and applying for apprentice of the year awards.
The program has been a spectacular success. Since 2005, 100 per cent of all Year 12 graduates have achieved eligibility for university study, gained a school based apprenticeship or traineeship, have embarked on a VET pathway or gained paid employment. This success was clearly acknowledged by the local community. At the end of 2008, student enrolments had increased by 251 per cent and Year 12 retention rates had increased from 58 per cent in 2004 to 98 per cent in 2008. In addition, the Forum model has been recognised with various public sector awards, and is now being adopted by the Northern Territory government for use in a number of remote communities. The Impact Award funds will be used to establish the Dare to Dream Big program, in which students that have gained success or overcome adversity will be used as motivational speakers and mentors. There will also be work experience opportunities for students in RTA officers in states across Australia.
