National Youth Roundtable 2002 Member Profiles

Selena is a 17 year old Indigenous student from Darwin.

She has been a member of the Northern Territory Youth Parliament and the Aboriginal and Islander Tertiary Aspiration Program.

An ongoing problem facing the Australian education sector is the low rate of Indigenous young people participating in tertiary education.

Selena is investigating the success and efficacy of the current Australian Aboriginal Islander Tertiary Aspiration Program (AITAP) and may recommend that this program be adopted nationally.

Selena wants to create opportunities for Indigenous students to realise and fulfil their potential.

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Ervina, 20, is commencing a Masters of Business System at Monash University.

Ervina is a member of the management committee of the Western Young People’s Independent Network where she works with refugee and migrant youth issues.

She has delivered peer education programs to schools about refugee and anti-racism issues and assisted with an after school homework support program for English as a Second Language for young people.

Migrating to a new country, learning a new language, trying to assimilate into the mainstream community and education system is a struggle for many young migrants.

Ervina believes that better community understanding of the specific needs of refugee and migrant young people is important in reducing racism and misunderstanding.

She aims to develop a strong understanding of what works best for migrant youth to adapt into the Australian education system through the establishment of a support group and youth empowerment program for young migrants.

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Sixteen year old Pria studies at Hobart College where she is active in a number of school activities and associations.

In 2000 and 2001, she was involved in education consultation as a member of the Department of Education curriculum consultation committee.

Pria feels that the current secondary school curriculum does not focus enough on lifelong learning and life skills education.

Through consultations with students and educators, Pria hopes to identify what the key essential learning areas are in terms of life skills education for young people.

Pria plans to take the finding of these consultations and incorporate them into a framework for a series of forums and workshops, which she will recommend be conducted nationally.

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Eighteen year old David is in his final year at Casimir Catholic College at Marrickville.

He is a member of the Marrickville Youth Council and a youth representative on Marrickville Council’s sister cities committee.

David holds the school’s tennis competition title at the Marrickville Tennis Club which is the first time Casimir has won this competition.

David aims to hold a State Drug Forum, where young people can express their opinions on the efficacy and suitability of current drug education programs in secondary schooling.

David feels that the current curriculum does not meet the needs of young people in relation to drug education, and would like to offer some innovative ideas on different approaches for the future.

He believes that young people have a vital role to play in setting the curriculum that they themselves have to engage with and learn from.

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Sam, 22, is a mining engineer with Mt Isa Mines.

He completed his Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in 2001.

While studying Sam was involved in promoting various activities for young people within the minerals industry.

He has worked overseas and gained experience dealing with a wide range of people and peers in the mining industry and in the broader community.

Sam aims to investigate current attitudes, practises and policies surrounding young people and Workplace Health and Safety.

Through consultations with young people in the workplace, employers and policy makers, Sam hopes to make recommendations, which will encourage young people to take an active interest in the safety of themselves and others and ultimately promote a safer workplace for all Australians.

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Penny, 22, works full-time as a Policy Officer for the Queensland Department of Industrial Relations.

She has a Bachelor of Business in Human Resources Management with Distinction and a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction.

She is a member of the Department of Employment and Training Youth Network and the QLD Special Interest Group Working Party for the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI).

Penny has also been a member of AHRI for nearly five years.

Penny aims to find out what is required to make university students and universities aware of the skills students need to be employable and work ready.

Penny is also exploring the difficulties faced by regional university graduates in finding work in their local communities.

Through consultations with regional and metropolitan employers and universities, Penny hopes to make recommendations for smoother pathways to graduate employment; and allow young people the opportunity to remain in regional Australia.

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Helena, 24, is a final year student in the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education degree at the University of Queensland.

She is involved in a number of disability and university organisations. She is very aware of the many difficulties surrounding students with disabilities and has endeavoured through her involvement in various groups to channel a path to make it easier for students to access appropriate programs.

Helena’s efforts were recognised when she won the ‘Shine On Awards’ for focusing on the abilities of those with disabilities from Rotary International in 1999.

Helena is acutely aware of education and employment issues for young people, and aims to make a significant contribution to the Roundtable on these issues.

Helena aims to explore the suitability of support services and initiatives for young people with a mental illness/psychiatric disability in their pathways through education and employment.

Through interviews and surveys, she is assessing current service provision from the viewpoint of young people as 'consumers'.

Above all, Helena wants to accurately portray the experiences, feelings and recommendations of young people who have experienced the mental health system first-hand, and who have or are in the process of reclaiming their life as productive members of the community.

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Rohan is a 18 year old student studying Arts/Law at the Australian National University.

He has been involved with the United Nations as a youth policy member and as an Australian youth ambassador in the Netherlands.

He has been a youth envoy for the Centenary of Federation and acted as a youth advisor to Jacqui Burke MLA. Rohan has participated in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and is an active debater.

As a nation, we send many young people to international forums. Although these forums offer incredible opportunities for those chosen to attend, other young people do not currently see any benefits from these 'investments'.

Rohan would like to ensure that young Australians are adequately represented in a variety of world forums; and that these representatives pass on their valuable knowledge and experience to other young people in their local communities.

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