News

Super proud of five of our Yirrkala senior students, who were thrilled to receive their Learner’s Licences last week, after passing the permit exam last term.

With the support and encouragement of their Stars Mentors, the young women successfully completed the Drive Safe NT program as part of the Employment, Education and Training pillar of the Stars Plan.

In remote communities, a driver’s licence is particularly important because it enables people to travel the long distances required for them to take advantage of employment and training opportunities.

Research from The George Institute for Global Health confirms that there is a strong link between holding a driving licence and employment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Those who held a driving licence had a four times higher chance of being in full-time employment or graduating from university, and were twice as likely to have a trade or certificate.

That’s why our Stars Mentors focus so strongly on supporting our senior students to overcome the many barriers to gaining a driving licence. These include lack of formal ID documents, the high cost of driving lessons and a lack of fully licensed drivers available to supervise learners.

Practical driver training for our Yirrkala Stars begins this week and these deadly young women are aiming high – with plans to get their Ps later in the year.

Well done and happy driving!