14. INDIGENOUS YOUTH
Vocational opportunities for Indigenous youth in regional Victoria
The May 2007 edition of 'Professional Educator' magazine contains an article outlining research conducted into vocational opportunities for Indigenous young people in the Goulburn Valley region in Victoria. This research was conducted by Katrina Alford and Richard James from the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne. Their research identified a number of school-based issues that contribute to low school participation and retention rates among Indigenous students, including "culturally biased curricula, the "white middle class" language of teachers, the lack of Koori educators in schools and the absence of a general affirmation of Indigenous culture and identity". Alford and James found that these low retention and participation rates meant that vocational education and training was offered too late to engage the majority of Indigenous students. A number of strategies are recommended to improve this situation, including "intensive investment in early literacy and numeracy programs' and 'highly coordinated individual case management" for Indigenous students. A full copy of the report 'Pathways and barriers: Indigenous schooling and vocational education and training participation in the Goulburn Valley region' can be viewed at: http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1734.html(Source: 'Professional Educator', v.6, n.2, 2007, pp.32-33.)
15. INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES
Kevlar for students in the UK
Parents in England, concerned about knife crime, are getting "slash-proof" school uniforms for their children, and a company is offering to modify school blazers and jumpers by lining them with knife-resistant Kevlar. See the BBC news site at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/6945814.stm
DfES makes way for a new department
As part its aim to deliver educational excellence, the UK government has swept away the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and has established 3 new departments: the Department for Children, Schools and Families, or DCSF, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. The DCSF is responsible for improving the focus on all aspects of policy affecting children and young people. (Source: National Youth Agency, http://www.nya.org.uk/)
Aiming high for young people: A 10-year strategy for positive activities
The UK's newly launched Ten Year Youth Strategy focuses on helping all young people, especially those in deprived areas, to take part in enjoyable and purposeful activities in their leisure which can help them develop new skills and raise their aspirations. Using money sourced from unclaimed assets in dormant bank accounts, alongside funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the strategy will change "radically the landscape of youth provision". See: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0141
A response to the strategy from the youth work point of view is on the National Youth Agency website at: http://www.nya.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=95772
A response to the strategy from the youth work point of view is on the National Youth Agency website at: http://www.nya.org.uk/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=95772
Ireland's Headstrong
Headstrong, the National Centre for Youth Mental Health in Ireland, aims to empower communities to support young people aged 12 to 25 to achieve better mental health and wellbeing. Its new program, Jigsaw, 'supports young people, family members, service providers, community leaders and others to come together to create a holistic system of care, centred on the needs of local young people who are going through tough times'. See http://www.headstrong.ie
Young people and the aftermath of disasters
Earlier this year, a regional young people's forum on the topic of disasters and their aftermath was held in Bangkok. Young people from Thailand, Indonesia and Pakistan came together and shared their experiences of disasters, discussed key skills and approaches to strengthen their capacity to deal with future disasters and developed action plans to inform subsequent activities in their home countries. A series of consultations with young people from each of the three countries was also conducted prior to the forum. Findings from these consultations have been compiled in a report titled 'Young people's forum: Disasters and the aftermath: Building young people's life skills for health and education: Country consultations and summary report', published by the UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office. The report can be downloaded from the Eldis website: http://www.eldis.org/go/display&type=Document&id=32463(Source: Eldis website, viewed 9 August 2007.)
16. MENTAL HEALTH
How to reach the hard-to-reach?
A new report shows people under 25 years of age -- the group considered to be the most at-risk of developing a mental health disorder -- are not being reached by the new Medicare Benefits Scheme for better access to psychiatrists, psychologists and general practitioners. 'Mental health and the new Medicare services: An analysis of the first six months' shows a massive uptake of the mental health rebates offered by the new scheme, with a total of 170,000 services having been provided in May 2007 alone, mostly for psychological services. Releasing the report, the Mental Health Council of Australia highlighted the fact that GPs seem to make referrals to psychologists rather than to social workers, that women are twice as likely to have a mental health plan prepared by their GP, and that young men are least likely to be referred to a psychologist. More at: http://www.mhca.org.au
The Australian Rotary Health Research Fund Project Grants: Evaluation of mental health service provision
The ARHRF invites applications from teams of researchers, service providers, clinicians, consumers and carers for funding of a variety of mental health activities, such as: grants to evaluate new or existing interventions or services designed to restore or promote the mental health of Australians. For details, see the ARHRF website, http://www.arhrf.org.au/sub1.asp?pageName=Current%20Opportunities
Muslim helpline launched
Australia's first Muslim telephone helpline has been launched in Sydney. The crisis hotline is part of a pilot project being run by the Muslim health charity, Mission of Hope. The helpline will initially cover New South Wales, with some access for other states. See: http://www.amal.org.au/
BRAVE Program for teenagers with anxiety
Researchers at the University of Queensland have developed a treatment program that uses cognitive behavioural therapy to treat teenagers (aged 13 to 17 years) with various forms of anxiety. The BRAVE Program for Teenagers offers internet-based and clinic-based programs, both of which involve 12 weekly sessions for teenagers and 7 weekly sessions for parents. The BRAVE Program is currently part of a research project to determine the effectiveness of internet-based treatments for anxiety. For further information, cph: (07) 3346 9516; email: brave4teenagers[AT]psy.uq.edu.au; website: http://www2.psy.uq.edu.au/webexp/kidscoping/(Source: BRAVE Program for Teenagers flyer, viewed 10 August 2007.)
17. MENTORING
Beacon Foundation and Dusseldorp Skills Forum implement Plan-It in WA and Victoria
Under the No Dole strategy, 5 schools are working with the Beacon Foundation in Western Australia and Victoria in a trial of the Plan-It Youth mentoring program. The Plan-It Youth program is an initiative of the Dusseldorp Skills Forum and began on the NSW Central Coast in 1997. It now operates in over 70 schools, and gives young people who are at risk of leaving formal education or training early the chance to plan their future careers and find a positive way into further training or employment. Through community mentoring, the program provides them with support, and exposes them to other life experiences and opportunities for making a successful transition from school. For further information about the program, email Hayley McGill (Western Australia): hayley[AT]beaconfoundation.net or Annette Torok (Victoria): annette[AT]beaconfoundation.net (Source: Dusseldorp Skills Forum 2007, 'Dusseldorp Skills Forum and Beacon Foundation join forces', Dusseldorp Skills Forum, viewed 10 August 2007, http://www.dsf.org.au/beacon.html)
What defines a good mentoring program?
For the answer, see the keynote address delivered by Lesley Tobin of the Dusseldorp Skills Forum at the Youth Mentoring Trust's conference in New Zealand (June 2007). It contains a comprehensive analysis of the experiences of mentoring in Australia, and the benchmarks of good practice, and is online in full text (PDF format) at: http://www.dsf.org.au/papers/196.htm
18. MOVEMENTS, CHANGES, MILESTONES
Nominees are now being sought for the 2008 Young Australian of the Year award. The closing date is Friday 31 August. Details at: http://www.australianoftheyear.gov.au/
Thanks to an ARACY/ARC/NHMRC research network scholarship, Dr Ani Wierenga is off to the International Sociological Association's 8th Asian youth and childhoods conference in Lucknow, India in November. ('Youth Research News', Australian Youth Research Centre, v.17, July 2007).