Career Development for Young Indigenous People: A Project Summary

Abstract

A range of career challenges and employment barriers confronting Indigenous people in Australia have been identified by census data and government reports. This paper describes a project that involved national consultation to determine the type of career programs and resources being used with Indigenous populations. Information was gathered with respect to effective career programs and resources used by the participants, as well as the factors that supported and hindered their effective career development. Consultation included focus group sessions with Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants, follow-up telephone interviews as required, as well as online questionnaires posted on a dedicated project website. In many instances the participants' concerns focused on wider issues and underlying organisational and administrative arrangements. Findings related to effective programs suggested that individuals, program approaches and organisational structures were important. Funding arrangements and staffing concerns proved to be challenges. Recommendations from Stage One consultations led to the second stage of the project: the development of a prototype for a central online career portal for Indigenous populations.