Schools Industry Partnership

What did you want to be when you grew up?

As children we are filled with dreams and idealistic ambitions, we want to be astronauts or knights or flowers! We tell our children now to dream and explore, but somehow take this away when they’re teenagers. While our children want to win the Nobel Prize or be a famous adventurer, our teenagers face the world with apathy and resentfulness. Where are we going wrong, when and how are our young people losing their spark and enthusiasm for work?

One school of thought comes from research that indicates advertising is changing adolescent values and perceptions. This has resulted in high school students being highly materialistic but without the drive to work hard to earn the money they need to buy all the things they want. This theory, however, is fairly limiting to the intelligence and capacity of young people, and perhaps boxes them into a stereotype that further diminishes their opportunity with employers.

For most young people, they are largely driven by seeking autonomy and forging their own identity and goals separate to their parents. For the current generation of young people, this is coupled with a scepticism and impatience that has manifested through awareness and skills developed through technology. Changes in society and technology make manoeuvring this life stage particularly difficult for young people today.

While dreaming of being a flower or a professional friend to dogs isn’t achievable or realistic for a young person looking to make their way in the world, idealistic aspiration often sees much success when coupled with determination. In order to break through the apathy many young people are developing due to fear and scepticism, we need to inspire and trust.

How can we inspire young people to be determined?

Often feelings of apathy stem from a fear of failure or the unknown. With a wealth of career options and paths to get there, it is harder than ever for young people to know what direction they should go and where to start. Often, jobs and sectors that need staff, Odoo text and image block are the least visible and most convoluted, making the only choices for young people the careers of those who they know.

In order to help young people understand why their schooling is important, and get some inspiration for their path, we need to share our own career experiences and passions. A person’s journey, passion and success are more motivating than any poster, video or article about careers that a young person could read.

There are various ways to get involved with young people and share your career experience and passions.

Speak in schools to share about your career and industry with students, help broaden their horizons and make informed subject choices, understand the application of their studies and develop a focus.
Host year 11 and 12 students studying your industry in your business or workplace for week-long blocks and show them your passion! Show them what working in that industry is realistically like and help them improve their skills for the future. Learning hands-on skills help young people concentrate better when learning the theory in the classroom.
Provide work experience or a job for young people who lost their way when leaving school. By taking a chance on a young person trying to create their own future after a hard start, you not only inspire confidence and improve self-esteem, but contribute immeasurable value into a young person’s life and their future.

Want to make an impact for young people today?

I want to speak in schools I want to host students I want to give someone a fresh start

Careers with Maths magazine a big hit

On Thursday, May 4th, some representatives from Schools Industry Partnership attended the launch of Refraction Media’s latest career magazine, Careers with Maths. The event was a wonderful and engaging discussion around the importance of maths education and how we can be engaging young people so they gain the skills and passion for maths that are necessary for the current career climate.

One of the guest speakers, Thomas O’Donahoo of HSC resource Atomi highlighted the importance of supporting young people in learning maths, saying “maths is a key skill in any career you choose. We need to better support students that are struggling.”

Careers with Maths magazine is a new STEM Magazine resource produced by Refraction Media, following the success of their existing magazines; Careers with Science, Careers with Health, Careers with Code and Careers with Engineering. You can read online copies of past issues, order your own physical copies and find more online resources for Careers with STEM on their website.

Read more about Refraction Media and their Careers with Maths magazine on Mumbrella, and check out the live stream of the panel discussion on their Facebook page.

Job Hunter #NotDoleBludger

Youth unemployment is at 13.1% and it’s time we had a reality check! National welfare organisation, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, has recently launched a new campaign challenging the unfair media coverage of young job seekers.

The market for jobs for young people is more difficult than ever, as entry level roles continually disappear and the number of careers estimated within a lifetime rise.

Brotherhood head Tony Nicholson said it was time to stand up for young unemployed who are too often stereotyped in public discussion.

“Let’s not replay the same old inaccurate story – that Australia’s young unemployed people are lazy and don’t want to work. From practical experience, I know this is far from the reality. Our young people know all too well that the passport to a good life in Australia is to work so they can achieve their goals and ambitions. As a baby boomer, I call for a new public narrative about the challenges young jobseekers face today. Being young and hunting for work in Australia has significantly changed from when this generation’s parents and grandparents were young.”

Watch the campaign video below. Find more information in their media release.

Inspiring the Future launches nationally

Yesterday, on April 3rd 2017, we launched Inspiring the Future nationally! The Hon. Rob Stokes MP and the Hon. Stuart Ayers MP both attended the event held at Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School as well as approximately 80 students from Western Sydney schools; teachers, association representatives, corporate industry representatives, and other special guests.

The Hon. Rob Stokes MP gave valuable advice to the young people, encouraging them that “a career is not something in and of itself but a vehicle that takes you where you want to go, it’s something that gets you somewhere.”

As well as the first official career talk by Minister Stokes, the event also involved two demonstration ITF activities with students, a career speed networking activity and a career panel discussion. In the speed career networking activity, 8 volunteers rotated around the room each spending 7 minutes talking to a table of 8-10 students at any one time. Students were encouraged to ask the volunteers questions about their career and how they got to where they are now.

Students involved in the event gave great feedback about how it informed their thinking about the future and how it was great to hear people’s passion for their job. One student said he learnt “that having passion and drive was so important no matter what you do.”

tony career The two activities involved representatives from LG Electronics, Penrith CBD Corporation, Panthers , Bells Partners Finance, Engineers Australia, THALES, Apprentices R US Group Training Association of NSW & ACT, Master HR Solutions, the Star Entertainment Group and Job Jump.

Thank you for all who came and supported the launch of Inspiring the Future (ITF) and for the enthusiasm we received! We’re more than thrilled at the success of the event and the great feedback we received, especially from our volunteers and students in the career event.

If you’re interested in partnering with us for future events, please contact us!

Check us out on Facebook and Twitter for more Inspiring the Future updates.

New Research: Young, underemployed and living precariously in Australia

A new report released by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, reveals the dramatic underemployment statistics we’re seeing now in Australia. They define underemployment as “having some work but wanting more hours”, and record that it is the highest it’s been in 40 years.

As of February 2017, more than 650,000 young people were unemployed or underemployed. The report also reveals that since 2003, underemployment has been more common that unemployment for young people. 377,000 people are underemployed, as of February 2017, a concerning number that is often missed when counting our unemployed young people. The gap between hours being worked and hours desired has also grown wider, with an average of 3.1 extra hours now being desired compared to 1.8 in 2001.

This dramatic change in the landscape of the workforce raises serious concerns for our society. Does the work itself not exist? Or are young people being undervalued as workers? What does the future for our society look like, if our young people cannot engage in a workforce and become growing, skilled workers?

Read the full report here.

Work Placement works for Employers and Students

The value of Work Placement can be seen for both students and the employers who host them. Not only does Work Placement show students a real workplace and give them a taste of industry, but it enables employers and workers who have years of experience to share their knowledge and passion for their work.

Last week we had the privilege of visiting one of our valued host employers, All Metal Products in St Mary’s. We were given a grand tour of their incredible factory, and taken through the general structure they put their work placement students through.

“The first thing I ask them is if they can read,” supervisor Daryl Williams explains, “or if they’d like me to go through it with them, then they read the conditions and sign it.” The next part of the student induction is a tour of All Metal’s itself. The venue is no small affair, with multiple large hanger style rooms housing countless machines and tools to bend, slice, press and shape metal into whatever is commissioned.

“The past 3 days I’ve been cutting the parts for strainers for, I think, KFC gravy. We can make most things you need,” Daryl says, sweeping his hand in the air to direct our attention to the coils of wire and sheets of
metal stored in tall shelves in the warehouse.

During our tour, we are introduced to the 3 Work Placement students that All Metals Products are currently hosting. Daryl interrupts our tour to give the students some advice on the task they’re doing. “I know you’re just eager but wait until this cools down,” he says placing his hands on the metal boxes and showing the students to feel the heat too. This approach is great for the students learning, leading back to what Confuscious said; ‘ I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.’

As we go on, Daryl talks about the different things he’s made and how he likes to show students different sections of the factory. “[The students] can get mundane jobs, but if you change [the task] every day they’re learning something.”

Hearing Daryl talk is an insight into how Work Placement works in the lives of those who host and supervise students. A lifetime of knowledge in an industry can be shared and utilised to inspire someone else for their future.

Daryl commends the students from Evans High School, as “the boys walk every day from the train station to here, that’s no easy feat. They’re hardworking and have a good interest.” He treats the students like capable workers, and shows them how to use different machines while we’re there.

“It depends on the work we’ve got, but we try to show [the students we host] different aspects of the factory and it impresses them. I think they enjoy it.”

SIP appreciates the involvement of All Metal’s with the Work Placement program, and if your class would like a tour of the facilities contact Kerrie and we can look at arranging this for you.

Find the All Metal Products website or contact us about hosting Work Placement.

How did you turn out after school?

Very few people have a ‘dream run’ at career success. For most, their story involves hard work, extra study, recognising and acting on opportunities and overcoming set-backs with resilience and perseverance.

As they say, “My overnight success was years in the making…”

Inspiring the Future is a campaign aimed at sharing authentic career stories with school students and we would love to have people like you commit just one hour a year to share your career story.

What would you like to share with younger versions of yourself, still in school and facing an uncertain future?

Can you help students appreciate the wealth of current and emerging career opportunities before them and the importance of a good education as a foundation to future success?

Conversely, we shouldn’t hide workplace truths from students. Not everything goes to plan. Failure is part of life. Business and entire industries go through hard times. Drought, economic shocks, technological and structural change are no longer exceptions.

Young people often see others in their careers with rose-tinted glasses, only seeing success, wealth and happiness. When they encounter a hard time in their career, it can derail them early on, as they think they have failed.

How have you dealt with the hard knocks and challenges? What did you do to overcome them? On the flip side, what is it that you love about your career and your industry sector that young people might not intuitively appreciate?

There are thousands of career, education and training, and recruitment sites selling the career dream.

But what students value the most is a fair dinkum conversation with someone who’s been there, done that and come out the other side with a smile.

Please help spread the word and together we can Inspire the Future.

www.inspiringthefuture.org.au

NAF video promotes girls in STEM

American education partner and provider NAF, has produced a video promoting girls in STEM that has been selected as a finalist for DoGooder’s Best Nonprofit Video. Watch the video below and show to a girl you know interested in STEM! Our workforce is currently divided, and STEM is a large problem area.

Be STEM Ready

NAF’s new video challenges audiences to open their minds about changing the dynamics of the fastest-growing industry – one that is currently dominated by men – and creating a more inclusive future for all young people. NAF works to transform high school education and continues to make an immense investment in STEM education – providing equal opportunity for all students. The young women featured in this video are real high school students, not actors.

Find the NAF website here.

Australian Workforce still divided

Gender segregation is still a huge issue within the Australian job market

In an article recently published by ABC News, journalist Justine Parker discusses the failures of Australia in addressing this gender segregation and what may be causing it. “Figures from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) show Australia’s jobs market is highly gender-segregated, and the situation has barely changed in the past 20 years.” In light of the social advances Australia would hope to be making in this age, this data is alarming.

“WGEA director Libby Lyons suggests that ‘gender segregation is actually getting worse, that we are not encouraging young women to look to industries other health care and social assistance, and vice versa, we are not encouraging men to look at the more female-dominated industries – that are growth areas.’

While not a band-aid solution, the Inspiring the Future campaign can work to improve these statistics and encourage Australia’s future generation of workers to embrace jobs that have historically been done by the opposite sex.

Are you passionate about changing the gender segregation in the Australia workforce?

Read the full ABC article here

Inspiring the Future off to a flying start!

It’s been a great start to the national Inspiring the Future campaign. In the first 3 weeks we have had 11 Associations join up and volunteers are signing up at around 6 per day! We have volunteers from Macquarie Bank, YMCA, the Department of Education, Fairfax Media and many more wonderful organisations, offering their time to speak to students in schools and broaden their career horizons.

Please help spread the word to help us reach our goal of 1000 volunteers by our launch in April!

Do you know people who could spare one hour a year to share their career journey in schools? Encourage them to sign up at www.inspiringthefuture.org.au

UK Volunteer Matthew Carlisle says about being involved in Inspiring the Future, “Becoming a volunteer has been very rewarding; through our activities as ambassadors we have helped to inform a number of young people about the possibilities of careers in the NHS. By attending such events we have also found the added benefit of finding potential candidates for our yearly intake of apprentices and have successfully recruited through our attendance to careers events.

The involvement in volunteering is flexible and only needs to be as often as you feel you are capable, it is not by any means a huge task and is actually very enjoyable. I usually attend events with one of my many colleagues who also volunteer for various organisations, this way we can help each other out if we get a tricky question.”