Fostering future leaders
After decades of seeing social welfare policies fail to address Aboriginal disadvantage in WA, the State's business sector is stepping into the breach and taking a leading role in empowering indigenous people.
The number of companies with employment programs tailored for Aboriginal workers is rising and that investment is starting to yield results, with an increasing number of Aboriginal people muscling their way into the State's business scene.
Some of WA's most successful Aboriginal business leaders are profiled in tomorrow's edition of WestBusiness Insider magazine, which is free in all metro editions of The West Australian.
Although each has made their mark in different industries, they share the common understanding that education will continue to play a pivotal role in ending Aboriginal disadvantage.
Creating the next generation of Aboriginal leaders is the collective mission of a number of schools-based initiatives such as the Future Footprints program.
Run by the Association of Independent Schools of WA, the program supports indigenous students from remote regions who are boarding in Perth.
The aim of the program is to encourage further education and ultimately employment through partnerships between schools and training providers.
"Education is the key to a more productive and meaningful life," Future Footprints co-ordinator Roni Forrest said.
"Through the support of the Future Footprints program in independent schools young people are given the opportunity to create better career and employment outcomes. I see the graduates of this program as the next wave of indigenous leaders in their communities."
- The WestBusiness Insider magazine is free in metro editions of tomorrow's West.
