Australian Employment Covenant

The Australian Children’s Trust (ACT) has undertaken the development and coordination of the Australian Employment Covenant (AEC). The AEC is a national industry-led initiative, which will bring Australians together to break the vicious cycle of unemployment and poverty amongst Indigenous Australians.

The AEC is a three-way commitment between the Australian Government, Employers and Indigenous people facilitated by the Employment Covenant Team.

The AEC advocates a “learn to earn policy” for all Australians who have the capacity to work. Nowhere is this more critical than to those members of the Indigenous community who currently exist on welfare.

The AEC is the first of its kind and represents a significant commitment to providing the majority of Indigenous Australians, who are capable of and prepared to work, with a real opportunity to achieve their full potential as productive members of Australian society.

Goals

1. Short term, skills based training programs based on employers’ needs to prepare job seekers.
2. The provision of 50,000 workplace mentors, the Heroes, to provide support to new workers.
3. Placement of 50,000 Indigenous people into work with sustainable employment. The AEC will have a significant impact within Western Australia.  It is estimated that

GenerationOne

GenerationOne is a not-for-profit organisation that was founded by Andrew and Nicola Forrest as a movement for change. Financial support was provided to create a movement that would show the importance of education, training, mentoring and employment as the best means for ending the disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The Foundation Supporters were the Forrests, James Packer and Kerry Stokes with further significant support from the Lowy and Fox families. Almost all have been active in Indigenous employment already, but realise that real change only comes from all Australians getting involved.

GenerationOne works closely with its sister organisations – the AEC and P-Plate program.

Kimberley Projects

The Australian Children’s Trust is currently working on the following projects in the Kimberley.   These projects all flow from our ethos of “helping people to help themselves”.

Fitzroy Crossing

• The establishment of a “Men’s Shed”, where men can go to do positive things with their lives – woodwork, carving, leatherwork, metalwork. A place that can integrate the services of government higher education facilities; where the AEC sponsored Vocation Training & Education (“VTEC”) can tie in, offering opportunities for real jobs, in all sectors. The Shed will host counselling specifically for men and encourage male-to-male positive relationships.
• The establishment of an emergency accommodation facility, sited on freehold land held by the Assemblies of God Church, who are providing a current safe-house service and have both the availability of land and the dedication to run such a service.

Halls Creek

• Support of the Halls Creek School Nutrition Program, which aims to improve student response and learning, based on the provision of a healthy meal, and educating parents about the value of such meals.

A Nutrition Program Co-ordinator is involved in education, food preparation and coordination of community nutrition programs.

Students are provided breakfast, morning tea and lunch, and are involved in the design of the menu, food preparation and learning how meals can be done at home. Students and parents are also educated about healthy eating and how it can improve their quality of life and learning outcomes. Parents and community members are involved in food preparation and education activities, learning about healthy foods and budgeting, with school classes then using this information to look at financial management and home skills.

Behaviour, academic and social outcomes are monitored closely to measure the level of impact the program has and its effects on school attendance.