About 100 students in Years 11 and 12 from eight Sydney region Clontarf Academies met employers at the forum on Friday August 30, hosted by Workers Blacktown.
“The Employment Forum is all about connecting our young men with potential employers,” said Adrian Doyle, Clontarf Foundation Employment Officer for Greater Sydney Region.
“We’re grateful to our employer partners who make this possible – they are inspiring our next generation to aim higher and chase their dreams.”
Of the 46 young men graduated from Clontarf’s Sydney region academies last year, 25 have full-time jobs, 10 started apprenticeships or traineeships and five are at universities. This year, 100 boys in Years 10-12 are already working part-time.
Clontarf operates campuses at more than 150 host schools around Australia that are open to any Indigenous boys enrolled, to develop values and abilities around education, leadership, employment, life skills and sports.
“Clontarf helped me apply for a part-time job with a retail store and supported me in the process, where I was hired,” said Jay Yarold of Endeavour Sports High, who participated in Friday’s forum and wants to become a zoologist.
“Employers get a rich background of young Indigenous men who are ready to beat the statistics and become successful in life, and as men.”
“Clontarf managed to improve my work prospects immensely by getting me directly in contact with Woolworths,” said Arthur Miner, of Chifley College’s Bidwill campus, who wants to be an author.
“I think employers will get workers who are committed from this forum.”
Since Clontarf Foundation began in 2000 in Perth, more than 6,815 young men have graduated from high school into employment.
Alumni remain in the Clontarf family, guiding and supporting current academy boys and programs, while they also are supported by Clontarf employment officers.
Some 11,400 boys are in Clontarf programs this year, including 1,000 Year 12s, supported by 580 staff.
Five academies are located at schools around Mt Druitt and Workers Blacktown is a long-term supporter of Clontarf’s work and a Sydney Employment Forum partner.
“Blacktown City has the country’s largest urban population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and we at Workers are committed to enabling the community’s potential,” said Workers Lifestyle Group chief executive, Morgan Stewart.
Member for Blacktown Stephen Bali MP welcomed the employer partners and the Clontarf Academy boys at the start of the forum.