In 2003 5 students from Barunga CEC commenced their journey through New School Based Apprenticeships in Katherine and Barunga. This Case Study details the efforts that Barunga CEC has made over the past 4 years to prepare our students for this and the partnerships we have forged, culminating in our partnership with Burridj Aboriginal Group Training Company.

This is a new and emerging program whose full impact will only be felt once the second group of trainees complete the program (3 years hence). Until then systems are emerging with both Burridj and Barunga CEC evolving to ensure that the program is a success.

Background to the partnership program

Barunga Nyirri Workimamang

Barunga Community Education Centre (CEC) is situated 400kms SE of Darwin and 90kms SE of Katherine in the Northern Territory remote Indigenous community of Barunga. The Community's population alternates from between 350 to 500 people depending on the season and cultural demands. Barunga CEC is on Jawoyn land and the title of our program, Barunga Nyirri Workimamang, loosely translates into "working together”. The community of Barunga is well known in political circles for the 'Barunga Statement" which hangs in the new Parliament House.

1999

Barunga CEC began its partnerships journey (leading to its present partnership with Burridj Group Training) in 1999. The Vet Coordinator initiated discussions with the Barunga Community Council in October 1999 to ascertain what training students needed to undertake to be able to articulate into the community's programs. Discussions were also held with indigenous school staff, many of whom had students enrolled at the school, to obtain their views on what training programs they'd like to see happen that would also encourage secondary students to attend school more regularly. Thirdly, students were encouraged to talk about their employment aspirations. The School Council was also asked for input and if they would agree to take on a management/advisory committee role.

From all this the areas of interest that emerged and for which there were appropriate training programs were:

1. Hairdressing (Cert II Hairdressing)

2. a generic maintenance course for the young men (Cert I Rural Skills)

3. keyboarding / office courses. ( Cert II Business Office Admin)

4.. a course to help young mothers (Cert I Family and Community Services)

Once this feedback was obtained the ITAB (now TAC) training priorities table was consulted. Hairdressing was a 'high priority' where as courses addressing the other needs were lower down on the scale. RTO's were approached to provide the training. Centralian College agreed to be the RTO for hairdressing and Rural Skills. Hairdressers in Katherine were approached to determine if they were prepared to train our students if we obtained funding. The Northern Territory Open Education College (NTOEC)agreed to enroll students in their Business course, while Nungalinya College agreed to be our RTO for the Family and Community Services certificate.

The school wrote a submission for Vet in Schools Funds to enable students to access all the above courses. Letters of support were obtained from the appropriate ITABs (TACs) and other stakeholders. However, after all this preliminary work the school was only successful in obtaining funding access to the Cert II Hairdressing for one semester.

2000

In 2000, 12 Barunga CEC students enrolled in the Cert II Hairdressing and traveled into Katherine (90 kms away) every Tuesday to begin their training. This continued for the whole semester, but unfortunately no other sources of funding were available for the girls to continue in Semester 2. However, 20 students enrolled in the Cert II Business commencing with the keyboard module and continued to work through this and other modules throughout the year. NTOEC enrolled our students and offered the course as part of their provision for correspondence students.

Part way through Term 1 our staffing allocation increased and the school was fortunate to gain a teacher with a trade background. He was able to introduce a woodwork course for the young men and those interested female students.

As an incentive for our older male students, in Term 2, the school accessed VEGAS funds for 11 students to travel to and stay in Darwin for a week to complete some modules in Cert I Construction at the Charles Darwin University (CDU). This proved so popular that we applied for more VEGAS funds in Terms 3 & 4 for these same students to complete more modules in Cert I Construction and to enroll in some modules in Cert I Automotive.

Now that our students were involved in a variety of training programs it was decided to expose them to some "best practice" models of workplaces. This came about after discussions with our indigenous staff and members of the school council. It was decided to begin the preparations in Term 3 for the students to complete their work experience in Term 4.

Students 16 years and older were asked where they would like to do a week of work experience in Katherine. This was made available to students who regularly attended school. It was pleasing to see that most students had some idea of where they would like to go and for those who didn't staff were on hand to make suggestions. Once this list was obtained it had to be vetted by the School Council to make sure all were culturally appropriate. Students nominated: Tindal RAAF Base, Woolworth's, Katherine Legal Aid, WAIKAN, various banks, car dealers, aboriginal hostels, Jawoyn Corporation, Katherine Hospital, hairdressing and other retail stores. Every organisation that was approached agreed to host one or two Barunga students for the week. For all of these organisations it was the first time they had ever hosted indigenous students from a remote community for work experience. Those under 16 years were given the opportunity to say where they would like to complete their work experience in Barunga. Students nominated to work in the community clinic, shop, mechanic's workshop, council office, Traditional Credit Union office, Early Childhood Centre at the School, with the 'parks and garden crew', house maintenance team and building team. Much time then went into preparing the students for their vocational learning experience. Those completing work experience in Katherine were bused in each day for the week. Indigenous and non-indigenous staff were on hand each day in Katherine and at Barunga to provide whatever assistance or support that was required by students or host employers.

In Term 4 applications were once again due for funding of VET programs for 2001. Once again consultations were held with the same stakeholders. Upon further investigation it was discovered that Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE) offered a Cert I Community Maintenance Course so they were approached and agreed to be our RTO for the course. As this is a "Community" based course we entered into a partnership with the Barunga Community Council that enabled these students to be included in various community projects. One of these was the laying of cement for the new community basketball court. Another was to assist in the preparations for the Barunga Festival which included erecting bower sheds and other types of shelters for campers. These young men were very visible to the Community.

Next problem was to find another hairdresser as the previous one decided to withdraw from the program. This decision also prompted us to find an alternative RTO to Centralian College purely for logistic reasons. Centralian College is located in Alice Springs which is 1000kms from Barunga. The school approached BIITE who informed us that at present they didn't have the scope to offer hairdressing, but they would put it to their Management Board. Within a short period of time BIITE replied that would apply for an 'Extension of Scope' to enable them to be our RTO for Hairdressing. At the same time inquiries were being made to find another hairdressing trainer. Eventually one was located at Mataranka which is 100kms south west of Barunga.

Funding applications and letters of support were once again submitted to the Vet in Schools office. This time we were successful in obtaining funding for both Hairdressing and Community Maintenance.

In 2000 the VET Coordinator was invited to attend workshops organised by the ASTF which became the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation (ECEF). We were encouraged to apply to the ECEF for funds to assist with our SWL program. This submission was successful with the school receiving an allocation of $20,000. This money was used to employ a part-time teacher to provide release time for the VET Coordinator to organise all the vocational learning experiences and SWL. As part of our contract obligations we were required to set up an official management committee. As the School Council had already been acting in this role it was decided that it would continue to do so. To increase Community input other members of Barunga Local Government Community Council were invited to join the committee. This was the beginning of our partnership between ECEF and the Barunga Nyirri Workimamang program and our introduction into planning using their matrix.

2001

In 2001 our students were able to access training in Cert II Hairdressing (15 girls), Cert I Community Maintenance (16 males) through Vet in Schools Funds. We also continued to obtain VEGAS funding to access the Cert I Construction and Cert I Automotive at CDU. After discussions with the School Council it was decided to allow our female students to enroll in both these VET courses. This was greeted enthusiastically by the girls.

At the beginning of Term 1 Waikan, the training arm of Burridj Group Training (part of the Jawoyn Association) approached the school to use our facilities for their pre-vocational students. They were having difficulty finding someone to teach the literacy and numeracy components of the course. The school and Waikan set up a 'Service Level Agreement' to release one the secondary teachers one day a week to teach this to the Waikan trainees. This was the beginning of our partnership with Burridj.

At the end of Semester 1 the Community Maintenance teacher resigned. As we now needed a trainer for this program we approached Waikan who agreed to release one of their trainers for 1 day a week to deliver the Community Maintenance modules. Another link in the partnership was established as we extended the 'Service Level Agreement' between Barunga CEC, WAIKAN and BIITE for the delivery of this program. This three way partnership extended continued until the end of Semester 1 in 2003.

Our students continued to access, using VEGAS funds, the Cert 1 Construction and Cert 1 Auto at CDU. There were three trips to Darwin each of a week’s duration and each time both male and female students were deemed competent in various modules.

During the year three of the Cert II Hairdressing students completed 40 hours of Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) with the hairdressing trainer at Mataranka. Racial barriers were broken as a result of our student's enthusiasm with this course. Local Aboriginal women felt comfortable making appointments to get their hair done and non indigenous women were queuing up to have our students work on their hair. Our students were never short of models on which to experiment. By the end of the year 11 students were signed off on at least six competencies.

One of the Cert II Business students completed 40 hours of SWL and two students completed 150 hours of SWL in Darwin. They worked with Administration staff at NTOEC and the Northern Territory Education Employment and Training Authority (NTEETA) and Danila Dilba. One student completed her Cert II Business (Office Admin) and was accepted into Curtin University in WA. Another student was signed off on all but two modules of this course.

Term 4 saw the students engage in more work experience and for those further along in their courses, SWL. Once again the younger students worked at various locations in Barunga whilst the older students ventured to Darwin for their placements. This time some of the parents actually dropped in to see the students at work in the community and one family visited their daughter at work in Darwin. In Darwin NTOEC, NTEETA, Karama Primary School, Human Resources (DEET) and Danila Dilba Health Service placed twelve Cert I and Cert II Business (Office Admin) students.

Vet in Schools funding changed dramatically in Semester 2 2001 with the introduction of the Training for Remote Youth (TRY) funding program submissions. One of the requirements for this funding was to prove there was community and industry support for the training programs. The school had no difficulty in obtaining letters of support from community organisations and businesses which had supported our vocational learning program and SWL. Barunga successfully applied to fund the delivery of Hairdressing and Community Maintenance courses for 2002. The school received $76,000 which allowed us to continue our partnerships with BIITE and WAIKAN (Burridj).

Our ECEF program was extended when Katherine High asked if they could become partners with us to fund their SWL program. An unusual request when you consider that Barunga is a classified as a small remote community and Katherine is a regional town of 10,000 people. Our Management committee was informed and agreed to the request. Barunga wrote the submission for the new partnership. We were allocated $23,000 for both SWL programs. We supported KHS by funding relief teachers to be employed to release their VET coordinator and VET teachers to organise and supervise their SWL placements in Katherine.

One of the dreams of the students and planning committee had been to eventually have our own hairdressing salon in Barunga. Whilst the students were always keen to attend the hairdressing classes, be they in Katherine or Mataranka, the weekly travel was tiring and in the Wet season the rivers and creeks were not always easy to cross and on a number of occasions we were unable to get through to Manyalluluk (a homeland community 50 kms from Barunga) for students to return home. In 2001 the school ASSPA committee allocated funds to the VET Management Committee. It was decided to use this $10,000 to begin purchasing equipment which could be eventually used in a hair salon in Barunga. Over the next 12 months enough equipment was purchased to set up two complete work stations in a hair salon. Because of the goodwill created through our students in both the Katherine and Mataranka salons word had spread through the hairdressing fraternity that Barunga was planning on setting up its own salon. Centralian College, BIITE and the school were all contacted with offers of equipment from salons that were refurbishing or closing down. Some equipment was even transported on barges to Darwin before arriving in Barunga.

With our increased funding the committee and school staff along with BIITE and WAIKAN began searching for a suitable area for our salon. One was found on the school grounds- a building that had not been used for 15 years. It was agreed that the Community Maintenance students would refurbish half the building so as to set up the Barunga Hair Salon. It was also decided that the Community Maintenance crew's next project after the salon would be to refurbish the other half of the area into an office area where the Business (Office Admin) students could simulate office practices.

2002

The VET program again included Hairdressing, Community Maintenance, Cert I and Cert II Business as well as the trips to CDU for Cert I Construction and Cert I Auto. NTOEC also delivered modules in Cert II Multimedia to six students in a two week block in Term 2. Another hairdressing trainer was needed because the salon at Mataranka was too small to cater for the 15 students. Luckily another one was located in Katherine and so we began the weekly trips to the Katherine Salon.

Work on the new hairdressing salon began on the building in February. Sixteen young men were enrolled in the program. The agreement was still that training was one day a week. It was going to be slow progress but all work was to be done by the students and any extras eg electrical and plumbing by Barunga workmen. Disaster struck on the May Day weekend when the building that was to house the hair salon was burnt to the ground and much of the Community Maintenance tools and all the Hair salon building materials and the equipment for two complete work stations for the salon were destroyed in the fire. Investigations into the cause of the fire were inconclusive. The Community Maintenance students were devastated to see all their work destroyed and the girls were upset that their dreams of their own little business had gone up in smoke.

Not to be deterred the stakeholders got together to find another suitable location and appeals for more funding were submitted. In Term 3 we received another $20,000 to recommence our project. Another suitable area was located and work began. This time the "Service Level Agreement' between ourselves, BIITE and WAIKAN was extended to allow Waikan to let their Construction apprentices to work alongside the Barunga students all under the Waikan trainer. More Salon equipment was ordered.

As part of the Management Committee's plan to extend support for training , to increase the number of industry partners and to offer Barunga students and students from other remote communities increased career opportunities it was decided that the school would host a Career Dreaming Expo in Term 4. To organise this ECEF funds were used to employ a part-time person to work with the VET/Workplace coordinator. This all came together in Week 4 of Term 4. When inviting businesses and other organisations one of the main requirements, if they accepted, was that they had to include some form of a 'hands on' approach in their presentations. We did not want it to be just a pamphlet collecting exercise for the students. Approximately 120 students from 7 remote communities and 25 students from Katherine High School camped on the Barunga School grounds for 3 nights to attend the two day expo. Thirty one businesses /organisations provided presentations to the students over the two days. Questionnaire/ feedback forms were given to all the students and presenters to complete. All were returned and ALL wrote that were impressed with the event and asked if there would be another held in 2003 as they would be prepared commit to another such event.

When some of these businesses were approached about providing placements for our VET students for later in the Term all were keen. We didn't have enough students to fill all the placements that were offered. In Week 7 our students returned to Darwin and for the first time students from Barunga completed hospitality placements with Mirambeena Resort. 12 students completed a week’s placement in Darwin. At the same time 10 students completed their vocational learning experiences in Barunga.

Finally the fully equipped and built to industry standards hair salon was open for use by Week 6 of Term 4. Before it was opened the school was inundated with requests for hair appointments from both male and females in the Barunga Community. The Salon was officially opened in week 10 by a Traditional owner and Jawoyn elder and representatives from BIITE and Burridj Group Training.

TRY funding applications were submitted again in Term 4. Discussions were held to determine what courses we would apply for training. Of course Hairdressing and Community Maintenance were listed but it was also decided to try and extend into Music and Sport and Recreation. Another decision was made to invite Wugularr school to join in our VET courses. This had been discussed with their staff, students and school council. We obtained letters of support from The Wugularr Community Council and their school council agreeing to their students join in the VET program. (Wugularr is 30 kms from Barunga and because the secondary program was only a new to the school they were not able to attract VET funding in their own right nor did they have the facilities that Barunga has to offer training programs).

The applications for TRY finding were not successful for all the programs we'd hoped to offer in 2003. We were only able to secure funding for the Hairdressing and Community Maintenance. However, Wugularr came on board for both these programs - another new partnership. ECEF funding was again allocated ($23,000) to support our partnership with KHS. It was the same arrangement for sharing the funds.

2003

The Vet courses included Community Maintenance, Hairdressing, Business and a two week course in Hospitality offered by CDU. Work experience in Barunga and workplacements in Darwin continued.

Waikan was no longer able to commit a trainer on one-day-a-week basis to the Community Maintenance program. Instead it was now going to be offered in 2 X two week blocks in Terms 1 and 2. Flooding interrupted the first block. Wugularr was cut off for days. Their students were only able to get to three days training. The trainer was unable to travel to Barunga on two other days because of flooding near Katherine.

Meanwhile the hairdressing commenced in the Barunga Salon. It has been delivered there every Tuesday for the whole of 2003. Wugularr girls have attended regularly and barriers are being broken between the two communities. A small business enterprise is developing with the sale of hair products from the salon and community members paying a nominal fee to have their cut and treated.. This is to help cover the cost of shampoo and other hair care products used by the students on clients.

In Term 2 the community Maintenance course was suspended because neither BIITE, Waikan nor Barunga CEC were able to find a trainer for the course.

In Term 3 the Community Maintenance program recommenced when a retired tradesman moved into the community. BIITE employed him to deliver the course to young men 2 days a week. He left at the end of the term. The school informed BIITE that the trainer who had been teaching the Cert I Construction to Barunga and other students from remote communities at CDU had left that position and so he was approached by BIITE to deliver the Community Maintenance to Barunga students in Term 4. This had been delivered in week long blocks every second week for the whole of Term 4. Unfortunately the Wugularr boys did not rejoin the course as they were involved in cultural "men's" business for most of Semester 2.

The final SWL and vocational learning experiences for 2003 occurred in November at the same time our Cert II Business Students were being signed on for their School Based Apprenticeships. Five Students completed a week of SWL in Darwin whilst 18 students completed a week's vocational learning experience in Barunga. Three Cert I Business Students and two Cert I Community Maintenance travelled to Darwin. The North Australia Aboriginal Legal Aid (NAALAS) provided one placement. This organisation was reluctant at first to host a student as they had not had very positive experiences when they had hosted indigenous students from Darwin. The school supplied the names of other businesses that had previously placed our students. After contacting these NAALAS agreed to take one student. Danila Dilba who has been very supportive of our training programs agreed to place two students. Darwin CDEP were approached to place the two male students. Another first as this organisation had never been involved in the SWL program. At the conclusion of the week both NAALAS and Darwin CDEP were so impressed with our students that they asked to be included in the 2004 student placements. Finally, Five students completed their Certificate I Business. Another student is in the planning stage of gaining work experience as a Disability Health Worker with the Barunga Health clinic. Barunga CEC, Burridj , Sunrise Health and the NT Health Department are involved in setting up this traineeship.

School based Apprenticeships

By this stage a pattern had been set within the school of VET training in community maintenance, hairdressing and business, with occasional short courses in other areas. Students also undertook work experience at Barunga and Katherine and structured work placements at Katherine and Darwin. This gave our senior students workplace skill and confidence to work outside of their community.

Our Partnership with Burridj Group Training began to take on a new dimension when the Management Committee decided that they wanted the school to look into the possibility of Barunga students accessing the School Based Apprenticeship program. Preliminary discussions began with Burridj and students and their families, who were informed about the program. It has been a slow process so as to ensure that all the stakeholders are fully aware of the commitment involved in such a course of action. All the support structure needed to be fully in place before the commitment was made by all concerned parties.

As this was totally new territory i.e. school based apprenticeships for aboriginal students still living in a remote community, for these students, their families, the school, Burridj and the employers it needed to be set up to succeed not to fail. In term 4 the first students from Barunga CEC were officially engaged in this new pathway to move from school to work. Four students travel in to Katherine to work on Wednesdays and Thursdays and attend school three days a week. Three of these students were all enrolled in the Hairdressing and Business courses. (see newspaper article) They are now contracted by Burridj as Certificate II Business apprentices. The businesses they are apprenticed to are: Rocky Ridge Aged Care, Sunrise Health Board and Nyirranggulung Regional Council Office. Two students, who had been enrolled in Cert I Community Maintenance, have been contracted by Burridj into a Retail Traineeship at the Barunga Community shop and a construction Traineeship at Kalano.

It has been a slow but planned and well supported journey with many partnerships made along the way to culminate at this point