Sydney Catholic Schools has partnered with the NRL School to Work program to increase our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ success in the classroom and assist in their transition from school to tertiary education. Here Jane Bridges, SCS’ Wellbeing Specialist: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, explains how the partnership is helping to make a difference in our young students’ lives.  

Sydney Catholic Schools’ Student Wellbeing Specialist, Jane Bridges. Photo: Kitty Beale

As Sydney Catholic Schools prioritises success and excellence for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, we look to our partnerships with programs such as NRL School to Work to help ensure that we are catering to the needs of all, and achieving the best possible outcomes for each individual student. 

The NRL School to Work program was started in 2012 in response to closing the gap in Indigenous disadvantage in employment and education outcomes across the Western Sydney region. 

Since then the program has extended beyond servicing Western Sydney to schools across Victoria, NSW, the ACT and south east Queensland with more than 95 per cent of participants transitioning into education and employment after graduating from school. 

Sydney Catholic Schools has recognised the impact of this program and has continued to extend the opportunity to SCS secondary colleges. 

In 2021 there are 34 active students in the program across 11 SCS high schools. 

The young Aboriginal students in the program are provided with access to a number of workshops, leadership camps and the support of an Indigenous mentor. This support includes job readiness guidance and support in the job application process. 

The workshops and mentors also assist …