Join our Mob: Developing the Career Potential of Aboriginal

Students

• National $7.5m project to increase number and professional capacity of Indigenous teachers in Australian schools

• 5:1 teacher workforce under-representation

• Indigenous-led

• Managed by UniSA

• www.matsiti.edu.au

1. Teacher workforce research andevidence base

2. Funding partnerships with school jurisdictions, education faculties, Indigenous units in schools and universities, advocacy groups – 35 to date

3. Attraction and career aspirations strategy

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Australian Schools

• www.matsiti.edu.au

• @matsiti

• #ourmobteach

• Facebook.com/ourmobteach

• info@matsiti.edu.au

Ensure Aboriginal

employment is part of day to day business

Build a deep understanding of culture, respect

and engagement

Strengthen leadership and management capabilities of

Aboriginal employees

Aboriginal Human Resources Development Plan 2012 – 2017

• Promotes teaching as a career of choice to

Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders

• Increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers in NSW public schools

• Valuing, developing and retaining quality Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers in NSW public schools

• Increasing the number of identified School Administrative Support Staff positions for Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders.

Aboriginal Employment and Career Initiatives, People and Careers

Key Achievements in Aboriginal Employmentand Career Initiatives

Established the “ Join Our Mob” recruitment strategy in 2006 with promotion of initiatives across NSW.

Established a dedicated team of officers responsible for implementing employment and career development and leadership programs for teachers and school administrative and support staff.

Increasing the number of Aboriginal teachers and executive in permanent positions across NSW public schools with 733 recruited since April 2004.

Increasing the number of teacher education scholarships available each year exclusively for Aboriginal applicants including HSC students, university students and career changers from 20 in 2006 to 80 in 2010.

NSW Initiatives• Join Our Mob promotional campaign including website,

Facebook page, Twitter and targeted resources

• Teacher Education Scholarship Program – 300 per annum with 220 for teacher training in subject shortfall areas and 80 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to train as primary or secondary teachers

• Priority appointment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers

• Connected Communities initiative in which 15 identified schools have become community hubs to deliver a range of services from birth through school to further training and employment.

Who we are and what we do

Pam WiddersAssistant Manager, Aboriginal InitiativesAboriginal Employment and Career InitiativesPeople and Careers

• Promote the benefits of becoming a teacher with NSW DEC including promoting Scholarship opportunities for Aboriginal people

• Increase the permanent employment of Aboriginal teachers within NSW DEC by identifying suitable vacancies and negotiating with HR Advisors to fill this position with an Aboriginal applicant and promoting innovation and flexibility in the recruitment and selection of Aboriginal people in the workforce

• Conduct regular on-campus university visits, in partnership with Teach.NSW, Teacher Recruitment Programs Unit and our team members, to address scholarship holders and provide face-to-face information sessions

• Regularly review current employment list of Aboriginal Teachers available for appointment and develop plan

• Assist and support Aboriginal teachers with staffing matters (eg. appointments, transfers, etc.)

• Develop and strengthen positive relationships and partnerships with Aboriginal communities and groups including working in collaboration with the NSW AECG at all levels to improve policies & practices involving Aboriginal staff within NSW DEC

Pam WiddersAssistant Manager, Aboriginal InitiativesAboriginal Employment and Career InitiativesPeople and Careers

Darren BellAssistant Manager, Aboriginal InitiativesAboriginal Employment and Career InitiativesPeople and Careers

• Develop, promote, review, coordinate and evaluate innovative and flexible human resource frameworks, policies and programs for the employment, retention and career development of Aboriginal staff in the Department’s workforce

• Liaise and negotiate with internal and external stakeholders in the review, development and support of human resource policies and programs for Aboriginal staff

• Analyse trends and issues and undertake research as a basis for the development of employment and staffing policies for Aboriginal staff

• Report on the effectiveness of policies and programs to support the employment and retention of Aboriginal staff

• Participate on Departmental committees and working parties relating to Aboriginal employment

• Prepare accurate and strategic advice for senior management on matters pertaining to Aboriginal staff

Darren BellAssistant Manager, Aboriginal InitiativesAboriginal Employment and Career InitiativesPeople and Careers

Promotional Strategies

Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been used to great success for our team.

We use the sites to promote events such as careers markets and Yarn Ups, we also use the sites as a way to speak with our communities and answer and ask questions and to promote our team and local community events and individual projects

We promote our social media sites on all our promotional resources and electronic and printed correspondence.

Promotional Strategies

We have purchased student artwork to use on our resources and electronic material.

Visual branding is a vital tool in promoting and building recognition of our team and what weoffer and stand for.

NSW high school student, Judy Shepard painted this piece especially for our team.

Recruitment Strategies

Schools/community visits to promote scholarships and Join Our Mob

Aboriginal Employment and Career Initiatives Officers visit communities across the state to promote and speak with students and community members about joining our mob as teachers and working in education

Feedback from our school/community visits…

“I would like to thank you very much for your visit to our school and speaking to our students in regards to the programs with DEC and Join Our Mob. The students shared with us, how great your visit was and how several students are interested in becoming a teacher when they leave school” AEO, Mount Austin High School

“Great to have someone come and talk to our Aboriginal students, we have four students interested in teaching two Year 12 and two Year 11. Your information and resources are fantastic; I would like to invite you back to the Young Careers Expo” Careers Advisor, Young High School

Promoting scholarships and Join Our Mob to tertiary providersThe team regularly visits, liaises and consults with universities and various staff regarding:

• Identification of students • Presentations to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students• Support that is available• Join Our Mob, Scholarships, Promotions, Beyond the

Line, Beyond the Bridge initiatives • Presentations• Career pathways in DEC• “TRACKS” Tertiary Preparation Program• Careers Markets – Expos (sharing information)• University Open Days • Working with the Department and the support provided

Career Expos

In 2014 following successful funding from MATSITI our Galiyaay Careers Expos are occurring across NSW.

They include:22 May Dubbo18 June Western Sydney20 June Tamworth25 July Nowra

The aim of the expos are to give our students a better understanding of the different types of careers available to them and how to plan their education so that they are better positioned to enter their chosen fields of interest.

Networking with universities provides opportunities to strengthen partnerships between schools, TAFE, local communities and universities and is vital in promoting teaching as a career choice at local levels. It also provides me with the knowledge to encourage and deliver support to other SAS staff in schools/offices/local school areas to become teachers, whilst informing Career Advisors and Principals about programs offered by universities and the different pathways available.

It also provides the opportunity to develop and implement initiatives for the effective transition of final year teacher education students into their role as teachers.

Benefits of working in partnership with tertiary providers

Recruitment Strategies

• Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teacher support staff and other paraprofessionals to become teachers

• Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander teachers in their early years of service

• Develop and implement systems for gathering national data on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s commencement and completion of teacher education programs, and recruitment, retention and promotion as teachers in schools

• Facilitate access to schooling for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in remote locations

• Promote teaching as a career of choice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school students

• Develop and maintain teacher education programs and support structures which foster successful completion by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Recruitment Strategies

• Promote teaching as a career of choice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support staff in schools, liaison officers and community members

• Explore a range of flexible tertiary entry pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to access teacher education programs

• Collaborate with universities’ teacher education schools to expand teacher education programs which are delivered locally in remote communities

• Enhance the capabilities of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support staff in schools

• Establish research partnerships between universities and schools with significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enrolments

• Establish partnerships between industries, school communities and post school education providers to enhance Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ post school options

• Career Expos• School presentations• University presentations • Community networking• Social media• Yarn Ups

Recruitment Strategies

The NSW Department of Education and Communities fully support these two programs which promote education and employment to all Aboriginal people and communities.

Our team works with schools, communities and Universities in the promotion of employment opportunities available to Aboriginal people.

The Department offers up to 80 teacher education scholarships each year to Aboriginal students completing their HSC. We also encourage our community members to apply.

Scholarships are offered for talented students to train in secondary maths, science and English and primary or secondary special education. Scholars receive:

• an annual allowance of $5,000 throughout their studies• a guaranteed job as a teacher when they graduate• a $3,000 one-off grant when they begin their career

Teaching is Deadly and Join our Mob

Aboriginal Teacher Education Scholarships

Our team promote the benefits of becoming a teacher and working for education using promotional materials and resources, social media, attending career expos and personal face to face interaction with our communities.

The Department also recognises the importance and value of having Aboriginal people employed in schools in non-teaching roles ranging from General Assistants to School Administration Managers and Aboriginal Education Officers.

Our team conducts Yarn Ups for Aboriginal people in schools and communities, encouraging and providing support for members wanting to apply for non-teaching roles within schools.

Teaching is Deadly and Join our Mob

Aboriginal Teacher Education Scholarships

Aboriginal Teacher Education Scholarships

Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal

Total 261 1171

100

300

500

700

900

1100

1300

Scholarship appointments since the commencement of the program as at 12 May 2014

Total

Aboriginal Teacher Education Scholarships

Aboriginal scholarship holders currently studying

HSC candidate (school or TAFE)

Current university student Career changer/ mature age

TOTAL

ART 3 2 0 5

ENGLISH 13 4 6 23

HSIE 3 11 9 23

MATHS 1 0 0 1

MUSIC 2 2 0 4

PE 11 12 1 24

PRIMARY 64 70 48 182

SCIENCE 1 0 1 2

SPEC ED 0 0 1 1

TAS 1 1 0 2

TOTAL 99 102 66 267

Snapshot of Achievements –

Aboriginal TeachersIncreased representation of Aboriginal people Current Govt. Bench mark 2.6%

DET 2005 DET 2007 DET 2009 DEC 2011 DEC 2012 DEC 2013

1.4% 1.9% 2.3% 2.8% 3.1% 3.2%

Increased number of Aboriginal teachers and executives - now 990

Summary of Aboriginal teaching staff as at 12 May 2014

Position Level Primary Secondary Total

Principal 13 5 18

Executive 60 31 91

Classroom teacher 608 273 881

Total 681 309 990

Snapshot of Achievements –

Aboriginal Teachers

Snapshot

Contact details

Veronica WillmottR/Director, People and CareersBlacktown State OfficePhone: (02) 9836 9148Email: veronica.willmott@det.nsw.edu.au

Pam WiddersAssistant Manager, Aboriginal InitiativesAboriginal Employment and Career InitiativesPhone: (02) 9836 9263Email: pamela.j.widders@det.nsw.edu.au

Darren BellAssistant Manager, Aboriginal Initiatives Aboriginal Employment and Career InitiativesPhone: 02 9836 9601Email: darren.bell@det.nsw.edu.au

Annie AustinHR Project Officer, Aboriginal Initiatives Aboriginal Employment and Career InitiativesPhone: 02 9836 9187Email: annette.austin@det.nsw.edu.au

Ismail HayekSupport Officer, Aboriginal InitiativesStaffing Services Blacktown State OfficePhone: 02 9836 9103Email: ismail.hayek2@det.nsw.edu.au