The Forums’ objective is consistent with the role of Local Community Partnerships to partner with industry and employer groups, schools, professional career advisers and community organisations to assist all young people aged 13-19 years to gain the skills, through experience and professional guidance to help them achieve a successful transition through school and from school to further education, training and employment.
Selected Local Community Partnerships will plan and manage a School and Industry Leaders’ Forum in their service region. Key activities in this process include:
- identifying Forum participants;
- engaging speakers
- identifying a practical local example of school and business partnership to showcase at the Forum;
- development of the Forum programme;
- promoting the Forum;
- facilitating discussion and practical workshopping at the Forum; and
- developing and implementing Forum action plans.
The objectives of the School and Industry Leaders’ Forums are consistent with the role of the RICA Network. This role is to improve the quality and availability of regional industry career information for Local community Partnerships, schools, employers and young people.
In partnership with Local Community Partnerships, RICAs are able to assist in delivering successful Forums by:
- targeting Forum participants including relevant experts;
- promoting the Forum to local and regional businesses;
- encouraging local industries and businesses to participate in the Forum;
- utilising their local knowledge to help identify examples of business/industry that have an inspiring story to tell about how they are working with a school to showcase as part of the Forum;
- identify local business and industry that are not participating in any career development activities with schools and would like to establish such relationships; and
- RICA personnel attending Forums in their RICA Service Region.
We hope these peak organisations will utilise their networks to encourage their members to participate in the Forum and use their knowledge of employer and industry participation in SWL, SBNAs, career education, mentoring programmes for young people, VET in schools, the Adopt a School Programme and State/Territory and/or Australian Government vocational learning programmes to assist Local Community Partnerships identify local:
- examples of business/industry that have an inspiring story to tell about how they are working with a school to showcase as part of the Forum; and
- business and industry that are not participating in any career development activities with schools and would like to establish such relationships.
Local Community Partnership Forum Steering Committees are encouraged to invite a range of stakeholders to participate in Forums. Interested persons and organisations could include:
- career advisers (especially those undertaking an industry placement through the DEEWR scholarship project);
- teachers (for example subject teachers) involved in Career Education Lighthouse Schools projects;
- parents of school students;
- representatives from State Education Departments; and/or
- registered training organisations.
Outside of the context of the Forums, parents and the community can:
Value all occupations, pathways and aspirations of individuals.
Assist young people to make informed decisions about career options, pathways and school subjects:
- Help young people to use career resources like the Job Guide
and myfuture.edu.au .
- Encourage young people to think about career options - discuss what they like to do, what they are good at and what jobs/careers may suit them.
- Talk to young people about jobs and career opportunities in their local area.