Story: Getting it Right
Helping young people from remote areas reach their goals.
A group of participants from the Indigenous Youth Mobility Program (IYMP) came to Canberra on August 10 and 11 to provide direct input into in the 2006 IYMP Provider Forum.
The IYMP provides young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from remote areas with access to training and employment opportunities. Participants move to one of 10 IYMP Host Locations in Cairns, Townsville, Toowoomba, Newcastle, Dubbo, Canberra, Shepparton, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin to take up training and employment opportunities, such attending University, undertaking an apprenticeship or studying for Certificate courses at TAFE. Safe and supported accommodation is provided at each host site through Aboriginal Hostels Limited
Upon completion, many graduates return to their communities, while others choose employment opportunities elsewhere.
Fourteen IYMP participants joined staff from DEST, the IYMP Training and Employment Service Providers and Aboriginal Hostels at the forum to discuss how the program was going and what could be done to improve outcomes.
The forum was called Getting it Right to symbolise the gatherings’ efforts to ensure the IYMP is delivered in a way that will help young people to reach the goals set out in their training plan.
The young IYMP participants told the forum that they all value the high level of support they receive from the program and that it was making a real difference for them in reaching their goals. They were also happy to be involved in Getting it Right, and were impressed that those who delivered the program were willing to listen to them about what it was like being on the IYMP.
As part of the forum the IYMP participants were taken on a sightseeing tour of Canberra which ended in a visit to Parliament House where they were given a tour of the building and had the chance to meet the Minister for Education, Science and Training, the Hon Julie Bishop MP. Minister Bishop was delighted to meet with the young people and get feedback from them on how they were travelling on their IYMP journey.
While the young people were positive and enthusiastic, they did raise a couple of issues with the Minister, who agreed to follow them up.