$12.9 MILLION SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME TO SUPPORT FUTURE
INDIGENOUS LEADERS
10 May 2005 MINBUD 40/05
Young Indigenous Australians will be able to develop
their leadership skills through the establishment of a unique new
scholarship Programme, which will provide $12.9 million in
Australian Government funding over five years.
The Australian Government is strongly committed to
developing the leadership skills of, and providing leadership
opportunities for, young people in Indigenous communities.
The Government’s Indigenous Youth Leadership
Programme will encourage talented Indigenous students, mainly from
remote areas, to apply for 250 scholarships.
The scholarships will begin at the start of the 2006
academic year.
The scholarship support will better place these
talented students to undertake further education and training, move
towards fulfilling employment and develop the skills to become
leaders in their communities.
As part of the Programme, structured study tours,
internships and work experience will be offered to Indigenous
students interested in gaining experience and building networks with
industry and business partners.
An Indigenous Elders’ Advisory Group will support
the Programme by selecting students and designing an appropriate
mentoring and support strategy.
This initiative highlights the Australian
Government’s continued commitment to reducing the gap in education
outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
I look forward to following the progress of this
Programme to see these students not only pursue fulfilling and
rewarding careers but also to become mentors to younger members of
their communities.
This initiative is part of the Howard Government’s
$2.1 billion package for Indigenous education for 2005-08. The
funding package is a 22.3% increase over the previous four year
funding period.
Media Contacts:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Yaron Finkelstein 0414 927 663
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Virginia Cook 0412 971 323
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