More than 400 Aboriginal students from across South Australia gathered in Adelaide last week to build career pathways at the first Aboriginal Career Exploration (ACE) Expo, ahead of the Santos Aboriginal Power Cup (SAPC).
On Monday 23 May 2022, students in years 10, 11 and 12 connected with 55 employers, training, higher education and health providers as they delved into the world of work and their options after school.
The expo is part of the wider Aboriginal Career Exploration program, a partnership between the South Australian Aboriginal Secondary Training Academy (SAASTA) and The Workabout Centre.
“This is a very exciting time for these students, some of whom will be in Adelaide for up to 8 days,” said Natasha Chisholm, The Workabout Centre.
“These experiences can help shape their future pathways in learning and employment, while also providing a great opportunity for a range of providers to talk with this group.”
Following the expo, year 10 students learnt more about further education options by visiting Flinders University and Adelaide University across 2 days.
On Thursday and Friday, students were invited to participate in the Santos Aboriginal Power Cup at Karen Rolton Oval. To be involved, students had to complete curriculum tasks, uphold behaviour standards and meet attendance requirements.
The 2-day carnival was followed by the SAPC grand finals at Adelaide Oval ahead of the Port Adelaide vs Essendon AFL game in the Sir Doug Nicholls Round on Sunday 29 May 2022.
The Santos Aboriginal Power Cup engages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in positive lifestyle choices, personal identity, Aboriginal culture, exercise and career education.
By combining a competitive football carnival with career education, the ACE program supports the connection between sport, completing the SACE and meaningful pathways to further education or employment after school. SAASTA offers school-based, sport specific and STEM-focused academies. They are available to students across South Australia studying the SACE in years 10, 11 and 12.
The Workabout Centre and SAASTA programs contribute to the Aboriginal Education Strategy Goal 3: Aboriginal young people are on pathways to success.
For more information, contact the South Australian Aboriginal Secondary Training Academy at SAASTA [at] sa.gov.au (subject: SAASTA%20enquiry) or The Workabout Centre at education.workaboutcentre [at] sa.gov.au (subject: Workabout%20Centre%20Enquiry) .
