What's the Need

ABCN's current programs focus on addressing needs within education. The programs engage businesses to work with schools to raise the levels of achievement of young people, especially those in schools and communities that will benefit the most.

The long-term effects are:

Partners in Learning: The need

Two key needs led to the development of the Partners in Learning program. Initially, the NSW Department of Education and Training expressed a need for businesses to collaborate with principals. At the same time some business leaders were looking for opportunities to develop an understanding of the challenges facing many Australian youth, as well as the broader community.

A principal or deputy principal comes into contact with up to 50,000 students during their career, which means leadership skills are critical to their role. Likewise, for business leaders, the development of Australia’s youth and the access and insights to the broader community that working with schools enables, is critical to ensuring a sustainable future for Australia.

GOALS Program: The need

The GOALS program encourages students who may be planning to leave school at the end of year 10 to complete year 12 and/or potentially go on to TAFE or University.

In 2005 around one-quarter of Australia’s high-school students left school early - a higher proportion than the previous two years. Although these students started year 10, they did not complete all 12 years of schooling.

Only one-third of early-school leavers will go into some other form of education or training, leaving two-thirds (50,000) that will never gain further qualifications.

Economic costs of early school leavers


Young people that leave school before completing year 12 face long-term disadvantages: unemployment, lower incomes, access to a narrower range of occupations and other risks to their wellbeing.

The cost of so many young Australians leaving school early is estimated at $2.6 billion every year. This economic cost arises from:

 

Why Employability

The success of businesses relies on people with the relevant skills to participate in the workforce. Skills shortages in Australia are becoming a real concern and are likely to affect our competitiveness in the future.

There are also rising pressures on economic resources, including the availability of skilled labour, which means that it is crucial to harness the potential skills, ingenuity and know how of young Australians.  According to the Business Council of Australia a more concerted and coordinated effort to tackle this problem is urgently required.

Our untapped resource

School leavers represent a significant untapped resource. By halving the number of early leavers between 2004 and 2010 could lead to net present-value benefits of around $8.2 billion.

Engaging businesses to work closely with schools and students that are most in need can play a significant role in addressing the individual and community needs around education and employability.

‘The mentors are making such a significant impact on the students both academically and socially.’ Teacher

Read more about why we focus on education.