Renewal SA has teamed up with Maxima, Port Adelaide Football Club and Anglicare SA to expand the hugely successful Aboriginal Power Cup Program to help Aboriginal high school graduates into jobs.
The new partnership is aiming to help 40 students transition into full-time employment in 2015 through traineeships, apprenticeships and other employment pathways provided by Port Adelaide Football Club corporate partners.
The new school to work project will bolster the existing Aboriginal Power Cup program which has supported almost 400 Aboriginal students across 35 schools, improving attendance and lifting Year 12 completion rates for Aboriginal students. The program has grown significantly since it began in 2008.
Renewal SA Chief Executive John Hanlon said the new initiative will not only benefit participants but the wider Port Adelaide community.
“This partnership enables the Aboriginal Power Cup to expand by providing training and employment opportunities that will benefit the local community, with at least 10 job opportunities provided in and around Port Adelaide,” Mr Hanlon said.
“The program will provide traineeships, apprenticeships and employment pathways for young Aboriginal students who have completed Year 12. It will also offer support, mentoring and cultural awareness for employers when employing Indigenous young people.
“The Aboriginal Power Cup school to work project is a great example of how urban renewal can benefit the communities we work in.”
The model is based on Renewal SA’s national award winning Works Program, which originated in Playford Alive and has seen more than 1900 people take part in training and employment programs.
Port Adelaide Football Club is looking to attract business partners to provide additional employment opportunities for participants.The Aboriginal Power Cup is managed by Power Community Ltd, the community development arm of the Port Adelaide Football Club. The program has grown as a result of a major Sponsorship from Santos and the South Australian Government. Anglicare SA will provide a diverse range of social supports to the young participants and their families.
Darren Adamson is the General Manger of Power Community Ltd – the community development arm of the Port Adelaide Football Club.
He has encouraged businesses to join with the club and identify employment opportunities for program graduates.
“We’re really thrilled to have Maxima, Anglicare and Renewal SA on board for this new project, which is another string in the bow of the Aboriginal Power Cup,” Mr Adamson said.
“We’ll be working with our partners at Maxima to general employment opportunities and AnglicareSA to provide social support to Aboriginal Power Cup graduates and their families as they look to transition into work.
“And the chance to generate local employment opportunities, especially through traineeships and apprenticeships, is something we’re hoping our corporate partners will get behind.”
Organisations and individuals interested in learning more or about the program should contact coordinator Nick Arundel at [email protected].