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Policy Implications

The intention of this report is to seek education and employment partnerships with the Government and the private sector that will result in the development of action strategies that will set future directions for real employment and educational outcomes for the Koorie community.

This report indicates that the Aboriginal Education policies, which have been implemented by Government in co-operation with the Koorie community, have been successful. Certainly this reports points to the success in terms of education participation across educational and training sectors.

VAEAI's Training Plan is developed with operational plans that are inclusive of Koorie community consultative processes and have resulted in the development of partnerships with other key stakeholders. The Training Plan continually sets well-planned and systematic approaches for educational outcomes.

The negative correlation discerned in this report, between educational participation and employment outcomes is a significant concern to VAEAI and it is expected to be of concern to Government.

Policy makers and industry in co-operation with VAEAI need to turn their attention to the employment outcomes as a matter of urgency.

It is possible to imagine a situation where Koories become despondent with the lack of employment outcomes in education and move away from this as a pathway to employment.

The failure of Government to address this concern will have a number of social and economic implications, given the low rate of Aboriginal employment. It should be noted that the Aboriginal population is increasing at a rate of double that of the non-Aboriginal population and that further, the Aboriginal population on an age breakdown is in fact getting younger.

The positive element contained in this fact is that the Koorie community becomes a significant source of employment to both the private and public sectors. However, according to Altman and Taylor (1997) unless there is an unprecedented expansion in Aboriginal employment, the rate of Aboriginal unemployment will increase significantly over the next 5 years.

Koorie organisations are a major stakeholder in terms of being an important source of employment for Aboriginal people in Victoria. Government at a State level, at the current time, appears to not be a major source of employment.

This is evidenced in a number of the Governments own reports. By way of example, according to the Victorian Government's largest Department "during 1995/96 the Department (of Human Services) had over 11,000 staff, with less than 40 being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders…

In 1995/96 across a total of 191 service providers, 65, 987 people were employed, with only 47 of these identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders." (Source: Office of the Public Service Commissioner: OPSC, 1996).

It is understood that the Victorian Government is currently developing the Koorie Employment, Career Development and Training Strategy under the Koorie Services Improvement Strategy. It is intended that this strategy will be implemented throughout all regions in the Department of Human Services. Specific initiatives contained in the Strategy include the employment of Koorie Regional Planning Officers, Koorie Project Officers, an Aboriginal Graduate Recruitment Program and a series of training and career development programs.

A number of other Government Departments have specific strategies in place aimed at the recruitment of Aboriginal people. For a number of reasons, which fall outside the scope of this report, many of these strategies have not been successful.

The Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated is strongly of the view that there is a need to revisit these strategies and that through negotiation with key Aboriginal agencies, it should be possible to develop partnerships and action plans which will result in the objectives contained in these strategies being met.

Given the low rate of Aboriginal employment in the private sector, it is essential that government in conjunction with VAEAI and other relevant stakeholders focus on ways in which employment outcomes can be increased.

Further research will be required to identify, shape and assess employment sector strategies that will be responsive to Koorie community needs.

An immediate area of research required is an analysis of the employment options that are currently being accessed by the community. There is very little if any information available at the current time relating to an employment profile of the Koorie community such as, who are the major stakeholders within private industry and major government department employers.

VAEAI's strategy and planning activities will be to seek partnerships that respond to education growth and shifts towards real employment outcomes.

There is a need for Government, industry, the key stake holders in conjunction with the VAEAI to work together in partnership to forge the linkages, develop the policies and strategies which will result in a significant increase in the employment opportunities for the Koorie community.

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