The Prime Minister’s 2016 Closing the Gap Report provides another sobering reminder that we are a long way from achieving equality between non-Indigenous and First Australians in education, employment and health outcomes:
- while there has been progress against literacy and numeracy targets, there has been no significant change over the last seven years in Year 9 reading and Year 3 and Year 7 numeracy standards;
- the gap between non-Indigenous & First Australian employment rates remains at almost 30 percentage points; and
- the gap in life expectancy between non-Indigenous and First Australians remains at 10 years.
Furthermore, while the Closing the Gap agenda does not include justice targets, imprisonment of First Australians has increased by 77% over the last 15 years. First Australians now constitute 27% of the nation’s prison population, and 52% of all young people in detention, despite comprising only 3% of the Australian population.
While the aggregate national data doesn’t always paint a positive picture, the more we understand what works and empower communities with the tools required to achieve better outcomes, the better chance we will have of meeting the Closing the Gap targets on a national scale.
Through SVA’s work with First Australian communities and organisations across the country, we see examples of Indigenous excellence every day. I am encouraged that there are a number of organisations demonstrating their capacity to deliver improved outcomes nationally – at scale – or in close collaboration with First Australian communities.
Education
The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) has grown rapidly, connecting approximately 5,700 mentees with 1,900 mentors in 2015 and aiming to reach 10,000 Indigenous high school students by 2018. In 2014, 93.2% of AIME’s cohort completed Year 12, compared with the non-Indigenous national average of 86.5% and the Indigenous average of 58.5%. AIME’s success has made a significant contribution to the target of halving the gap in Year 12 attainment by 2020, which the Prime Minister tells us is on track.
Career transitions
CareerTrackers has supported over 1000 young First Australians into internships with Australia’s leading companies, 89% of whom have transitioned into full time employment upon completion of their internship. Twelve employers – including Westpac, Lend Lease, Qantas, and the Commonwealth Bank – have committed to the program for 10 years. They are joined by 650 Australian organisations with Reconciliation Action Plans in place, with 500 more in development.
Community and enterprise development
At the community level, Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa (KJ) is a Martu organisation in remote Western Australia working to preserve Martu culture, build a viable, sustainable economy in Martu communities and establish pathways for young Martu to a healthy and prosperous future. KJ employs over 300 Martu rangers to actively manage the Martu determination and in doing so, reconnect with country and culture. While the challenges faced by remote communities have been well documented, KJ has been called ‘a model for remote functionality.’
Through SVA’s work with KJ since 2011, we have developed a deep understanding of the social, economic, cultural and environmental outcomes delivered by the Australian Government’s Working on Country programme and other Indigenous land and sea management initiatives. SVA has since been engaged by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to understand, measure and value the changes generated by five Indigenous Protected Areas and related ranger programmes. The outcome of those analyses will be released in the coming months.
Increasingly, First Australian communities engaged in land and sea management activities are considering how they might leverage government funded programs to capitalise on commercial opportunities and improve the sustainability of their operations. Recognising this, the Kimberley Land Council has developed its Cultural Enterprise Hub concept, designed to support ranger groups and prescribed bodies corporate to win and deliver commercial contracts, whilst building internal capacity over time. As the Prime Minister said today, “economic participation, underpinned by cultural participation, leads to vastly improved social outcomes.”
While the proportion of First Australians who are self-employed remains far lower than that of the general population, the number of self-employed First Australians has almost tripled in the two decades since 1991. The federal government’s First Australian procurement targets, if met, will generate $135 million annually in opportunities for eligible suppliers, creating an enabling environment for First Australian enterprise growth. Ensuring that First Australian individuals and communities are equipped with the skills, resources and support to take advantage of this environment will be a significant challenge – and opportunity – in 2016 and beyond.
Community empowerment and outcomes measurement
Community empowerment will help facilitate the necessary reorientation of Indigenous affairs from crisis management towards preventative programs and initiatives. We must continue to test new models of collaboration with First Australian communities to support them in achieving their goals. When coupled with rigorous measurement and evaluation of programs and initiatives, communities will be in a position to understand what works well and chart a course towards improved outcomes.
SVA is committed to working alongside First Australians and with the broader community to close the gap for good.
Rob Koczkar, CEO
