As part of our focus on supporting First Nations young women to transition successfully into work, training or further study after Year 12, Stars organises Futures Forums during second semester each year. These allow students to explore possible career pathways.
Senior students have an opportunity to speak with representatives from businesses, organisations and educational institutions about options and opportunities.
Students rotate around tables to speak with local representatives about employment and study pathways that they may like to consider.
Earlier in August, Stars hosted the Pilbara Futures Forum, with senior students from Karratha and Roebourne taking part. This year, 37 businesses, service providers, and Stars partners attended the event, making it the largest Stars transitions event delivered in Western Australia.
Jade Churnside, a Karratha Stars Graduate from 2021, attended the event as she is employed by the Karratha Rangers. She was able to share her personal experiences, what it is like to complete Year 12, and the support Stars provide after graduation.
In Darwin, the Futures Forum took place at the Darwin Cruise Ship Terminal. Students enjoyed yarning with partners about career opportunities and came away with a better sense of what is possible.
One of our Stars said, “It was really good, it helped me work out what I really want to do”, and another said, “It definitely showed me a lot of pathways I could take that I hadn’t thought of!”
The Perth Stars Futures Forum was held at Edith Cowan University, with senior students from seven of our WA Stars Programs participating. The morning began with a beautiful Welcome to Country from Nan Roma, who also shared her views on the importance of education in building a positive future.
The event provided young women with an opportunity to explore options, including workshops on Sports Science, Criminology, Justice, and Coding.
Esperance Stars hosted the first Futures Forum on Kepa Kurl Country in Esperance, with their Stars sisters from the Eastern Goldfields Stars program making a three-hour trip to attend the day.
Held at the basketball centre, local businesses and organisations from the Esperance and Goldfields region set up stalls where their staff shared information about opportunities within their organisations.
Students moved around the stalls, speaking with providers, and engaging in ‘interview scenarios’, all of which really helped build their confidence.
We wish all our Year 12 students the very best as they work hard to complete the year and move into their chosen pathways – and, as always, Stars will be there to support them all the way!
