Enterprise and Career Education Programme 2000-01 to 2003-04: Programme Guidelines

The Australian Government recognises the need to assist schools to develop in students effective foundation skills, employment-related competencies and a capacity for ongoing learning which will assist young people make a successful transition through school to further education, training, work and active participation in the community.

The Report from the Prime Minister’s Youth Pathways Action Plan Taskforce 2001, Footprints to the Future, highlighted the need for improving support for young people and their families in the transitions through school and beyond. The Enterprise and Career Education Programme forms part of the Australian Government’s response to some of the recommendations of the Footprints to the Future report.

The knowledge economy and the information and communications technologies are just two areas where there is a growing demand for a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, skilled and willing to experiment and take risks. Young people are asking for more information on what it means to work in an enterprise and the knowledge and skills required to follow their career choices.

The increasing demand by business for a highly skilled and innovative Australian workforce means that schools have a vital role to play in developing the skills, creativity and enterprising attributes of Australia’s young people and a positive attitude to life-long learning.

Business, industry and the community also have a key role in supporting schools to develop an enterprise culture in young people. Effective partnerships between schools and their local communities require the active support and engagement of business.

While there are many good examples of such partnerships in practice, the Australian Government wishes to continue to support strategic projects which will stimulate further innovation in school-based enterprise and career education.

2.1 National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-first Century

In April 1999, all Education Ministers, at the time, agreed to an historic commitment to improving Australian schooling within a framework of national collaboration. The statement of national goals, The Adelaide Declaration on National Goals for Schooling in the Twenty-First Century addresses areas of common concern and, in terms of vocational, enterprise and career education, emphasises that students should have:

• participated in programmes of vocational learning during the compulsory years and have had access to vocational education and training programmes as part of their senior secondary studies;

• participated in programmes and activities which foster and develop enterprise skills, including those skills which will allow them maximum flexibility and adaptability in the future; and

• developed employment related skills and an understanding of the work environment, career options and pathways as a foundation for, and positive attitudes towards, vocational education and training, further education, employment, and life-long learning.

2.2 Framework for Vocational Education in Schools

In March 2000, Australian Government, State and Territory Education Ministers, at the time, agreed to the further development of a new Framework for vocational education in schools, for implementation from 2001. The Framework recognises that it is important for young people to acquire key foundation skills, including enterprising attributes, in the compulsory years of schooling. The Framework explicitly includes enterprise education and student support services as key elements. The other elements include vocational education and training; community and business partnerships; effective institutional and funding arrangements; and monitoring and evaluation. The Australian Government refers to all the activities which underpin this framework as Enterprise and Career Education, and will use this in communication and marketing activities funded by the Australian Government.

2.3 Prime Minister’s Youth Pathways Action Plan Taskforce 2001

The Report from the Prime Minister’s Youth Pathways Action Plan Taskforce 2001, Footprints to the Future, recommended that "all Australians have access to a range of vocational learning and enterprise education experiences while at school."

The Enterprise and Career Education Programme focuses primarily on enterprise education and transition systems including vocational and career education for young people.

3.1 Enterprise and Career Education

Enterprise education builds upon the Enterprise Education in Schools Element of the School to Work Programme (1996/1997 to 1998/1999) and will contribute to the development of a positive enterprise culture by emphasising the importance of partnerships between schools and parents, local businesses and community organisations to assist young people develop the skills and knowledge needed for a successful transition from school to independence.

Enterprise and career education projects will support schools and organisations working in partnership with schools to develop the creative capacity of young people, their knowledge, skills and attitudes of enterprises and careers, and their experiences of enterprise in action. It will support the expansion of enterprise education across a broad range of school years (particularly Years 5 to 10) to integrate with other curricula to build a firm foundation of skills and attributes in young people, and encourage forward-looking, positive approaches to change.

3.1.1 Definition of Enterprise Education

The definition of enterprise education under consideration by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) is as follows:

Enterprise education is learning directed towards developing in young people those skills, competencies, understandings, and attributes which equip them to be innovative, and to identify, create, initiate, and successfully manage personal, community, business, and work opportunities, including working for themselves.

3.1.2 Definition of Career Education

The MCEETYA Career Education Taskforce endorsed the following definition of career education in 1998:

Career education is concerned with the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes through a planned programme of learning experiences in education and training settings which will assist students to make informed decisions about their life, study and/or work options and enable effective participation in working life.

Career education needs to encompass:

• Learning about the world of work (paid and unpaid) and its changing nature, its place in the Australian culture, the general expectations of employers and the demands of the workplace;
• An understanding by individuals of themselves including their interests, abilities, weaknesses, desires and values;
• An understanding of the decision making processes which can be applied in making career choices; and
• Acquisition of the skills necessary to implement the decisions made.

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation has been established by the Australian Government to assist young people to achieve a successful transition from school to further education, training and employment. It provides a focal point for enterprise and career education by encouraging and supporting effective partnerships at the national and local level between schools, businesses and the wider community.

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation has a key role in working with the Department in the development and delivery of the Enterprise and Career Education Programme to facilitate strategic use of the funds to support the programme objectives, particularly in relation to assisting industry to develop partnerships with schools and their communities at the local level.

The Department’s focus will be on encouraging the school sector to seek and facilitate business and industry involvement in enterprise and career education activities. As such the Department and the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation will have complementary and interrelated objectives.

These broad initiatives support the Australian Government’s endeavours to ensure that there are practical and relevant ways for all Australia’s young people to have the necessary skills to achieve success through high quality enterprise and career education.

Go Career is the Australian Government brand designed to identify the range of activities and initiatives which provide young people with information, the right sort of skills, training, experience and advice to enable them to make informed choices about their future.

More information on the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation, including its role in relation to enterprise and career education, may be found at Appendix A.

The Enterprise and Career Education Programme will facilitate an increased awareness of enterprise and career education in both the education and business sectors.

Enterprise education will be integrated into all key learning areas and across curriculum.

Schools, industry, business and the community will promote and strengthen strategic collaborations which will provide authentic enterprise and career learning opportunities for students.

School systems and related organisations will provide access to a comprehensive system of career education, information, guidance and counselling services to assist young people to develop a capacity to analyse, choose, plan and manage individual transition pathways through and from school to further education, training, work and independent living.

The 2000-01 Budget provided $25 million over four years 2000-2001 – 2003-2004 for the Australian Government’s Enterprise and Career Education Programme, subject to annual appropriation and supplementation. The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation will be funded $10 million from Enterprise and Career Education Programme funds (subject to Australian Government procurement and financial management procedures) to support their role in the Enterprise and Career Education Programme.

Funding over the four year period for the Enterprise and Career Education Programme will be allocated as follows:

Underpinning the Enterprise and Career Education Programme administrative arrangements is the need for schools and school systems to engage systematically with business, industry and community organisations. The Australian Government’s role is to strategically support the engagement of business and the community in partnerships with schools and school systems.

The Department and the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation have complementary roles in the development and delivery of the Enterprise and Career Education Programme to facilitate strategic use of the funds to support the programme objective.

The complementary roles of the Department and the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation are as follows:

10.1 DEST

The Department will primarily focus on three key areas – research, professional practice and strategic responses.

10.1.1 Research

A range of research projects will be undertaken.

A significant element will be action research to develop models and strategies to implement and develop enterprise and career education in primary and secondary schools. Work will also be undertaken with school principal and parent organisations to develop strong school leadership and engagement of parents.

The range of research projects may include:

• identification and dissemination of a range of innovative and best practice models through action research at the local school and community level;
• researching and developing effective models for engagement of parents in enterprise and career education;
• developing and disseminating a range of materials and resources that integrate enterprise and career education into a whole school approach and community partnerships;
• identifying practices and principles which will inform the agreed definition of enterprise and career education for practical implementation and reporting in Australian schools; and
• analysing the contribution of developing an enterprising culture in schools in providing improved educational and transitional outcomes for students.

10.1.2 Professional Practice

Professional practice activities may include enhancing the professional practice of school leaders and teachers by:

• building on outcomes from school based action research, developing projects with relevant bodies such as principals’ associations to support school leaders promote an enterprising culture within and beyond the school; and/or
• developing and implementing projects to assist with the development of skills to deliver and access careers information as part of establishing an enterprise culture in schools.

10.1.3 Strategic Responses

Strategic responses to areas of particular need may be undertaken to enhance the development and implementation of enterprise and career education in schools. Areas for strategic projects may include:

• the role of enterprise education in supporting and working with rural and remote communities;
• science, communications and information technology projects;
• the role of enterprise education in supporting Indigenous communities;
• pilot projects on e-commerce and emerging industries; and
• other areas identified through research.

10.2 Enterprise and Career Education Foundation

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation will build capacity for business engagement with schools and facilitate systematic engagement by business and industry at the national and local level in enterprise education. Its role will be to develop enterprise education in the following three areas:

• Capacity building
  This refers to promoting the Enterprise and Career Education Programme and the potential role for business and industry to work with primary and secondary schools to assist with developing enterprise activities with links to business, industry and local communities. This activity will build on the arrangements the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation already has in place to facilitate business and industry involvement in school-industry programmes, and work placement coordination.

It is anticipated that "capacity building" and promoting enterprise education will be the major activity for the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation in the early stages to ensure that business and the wider community are receptive to and understand the concept of enterprise education.

• Engagement
  This element of the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation involvement refers to activities aimed at involving business, industry and school communities in sustainable enterprise activities. Activities may include research and project work to develop models for business and industry involvement, development of materials to support business involvement, and regional workshops to assist communities develop localised enterprise activities for their school(s).

• Sustainability
  A key role for the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation will be to develop processes to investigate and establish sustainable options for business and industry involvement with enterprise education. This may include in-kind arrangements and an industry owned trust fund to develop viable ongoing alternatives and sustainability rather than reliance on Australian Government funding.

10.3 Marketing and Communications

The marketing and communications strategy for the Enterprise and Career Education Programme will be shared by both the Department and the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation and is intended to promote activities, initiatives and the Australian Government’s role in the Enterprise and Career Education Programme. It will build upon the successes of the Go Career: Enterprise and Career Education marketing and communications strategy and will complement the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation’s promotional activity in enterprise education.

10.4 Risk Assessment

A risk assessment of the Enterprise and Career Education Programme will be undertaken at least annually in accordance with the Department’s risk management policy. The risk assessment will also be reviewed and modified according to emerging risks and changing environments.

Progress with activities and initiatives funded under the Enterprise and Career Education Programme will be regularly monitored, as outlined in the Contract. All major projects ($750,000 plus) will be required to have an evaluation component. In addition, a formal evaluation of all aspects of the Enterprise and Career Education Programme, including Enterprise and Career Education Programme funds administered by the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation, will be undertaken in 2004.

Recipients of funding under the Enterprise and Career Education Programme will be required to provide officers of the Department access to their premises and records for the purposes of monitoring and evaluating the delivery and administration of projects.

The Department will develop the overarching strategy for the Enterprise and Career Education Programme in consultation with the Reference Group.

12.1 Reference Group

The management of the Enterprise and Career Education Programme will be supported by a Reference Group which will provide leadership for the strategic direction of the Enterprise and Career Education Programme. The Reference Group will comprise representatives of key education and business stakeholder groups and will be chaired by a representative or officer of the Department.

12.2 Selection of Projects

Funding for projects will primarily be disbursed on the basis of open and competitive purchasing principles. Public tenders may be called for individual projects or a suite of projects.

A Selection Committee, appointed by the First Assistant Secretary, Schools Division or the Assistant Secretary, Enterprise and Career Education Branch, as appropriate, will assess tenders, determine priorities and recommend which projects should be funded. The Selection Committee may negotiate on the basis of project proposals to improve outcomes or value for money.

The Selection Committee will ensure that the projects meet the Australian Government procurement principles and will assess the projects in terms of:

• how effectively the proposed outcomes meet the objectives of the programme;

• the proposed budget and project management arrangements;

• the degree to which the proposed project effectively addresses more than one key policy area; and

• the extent to which the project outcomes have national applicability.

All procurement processes under the Enterprise and Career Education Programme must be record in PROMISe and managed in accordance with the requirements of the Department’s Procurement Manual. A copy of the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines: Core Policies and Principles can be accessed at http://www.finance.gov.au/ctc/   

The First Assistant Secretary, Schools Division or the Assistant Secretary, Enterprise and Career Education Branch, as appropriate, will review the Selection Committee recommendations.

12.3 Approval of Projects

The Minister for Education, Science and Training will approve and allocate funding for the projects administered by the Department.

12.4 Enterprise and Career Education Foundation

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation will separately manage allocated Enterprise and Career Education Programme funds to support their role in the Enterprise and Career Education Programme. In the event that specific tasks are sub-contracted to other organisations, the administration of such tasks is to be consistent with the Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines: Core Policies and Principles.

12.5 Enterprise Partnerships Section

The Enterprise Partnerships Section, Enterprise and Career Education Branch of the Department, has responsibility for administering the Enterprise and Career Education Programme, including the management of the Reference Group, the strategic projects developed by the Department and the contractual arrangements for the role of the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation in the programme.

The Enterprise and Career Education Programme is related to a range of Australian Government initiatives under the Framework for vocational education in schools to support the transition of young people from school to further education, training, employment and participation in the community. These initiatives include vocational education and training in schools funding, school-based New Apprenticeships, career information and guidance, and youth support services including the Jobs Pathway Programme.

In addition, the Enterprise and Career Education Programme will coordinate with other activities of this portfolio including Indigenous education programmes and initiatives, Teachers for the 21st Century, Civics Education, and related programmes funded by the Higher Education Division.

The Enterprise and Career Education Programme is also related to the range of Australian Government schools programmes intended to support the learning outcomes for school students. These include General Recurrent, Capital Grants, Special Learning Needs, Quality Outcomes, Languages, Literacy Grants to Schools and National Strategies and Projects.

Relevant programmes funded by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources and Family and Community Services may also be co-ordinated with the Enterprise and Career Education Programme.

The collection, storage, security, access and use and disclosure of all personal information will be in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 and consistent with the Privacy Commissioner’s Plain English Guidelines on the Information Privacy Principles.

Enterprise and Career Education Foundation

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation has been established by the Australian Government to promote the expansion of school to work links to enable young Australians to acquire vocational, enterprise and career education, knowledge and experience before they leave school.

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation provides a focal point for schools, businesses and the wider community for enterprise and career education. Its role is to encourage and support effective partnerships at the local level between schools and industry, by more effectively linking businesses, schools and the community in a broader, more holistic approach.

This is being achieved by providing catalytic support to:

• improve and enhance school-industry partnerships;

• work with States and Territories;

• facilitate industry’s involvement in schools and young people’s transitions;

• undertake research, marketing and promotion activities; and

• promote a culture of entrepreneurship among young Australians which embraces change and rewards innovation.

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation networks and develops linkages with other coordinators, programmes, education and training authorities, and other school-to-work transition activities. It works closely with other Australian Government youth transition programmes, and makes linkages with relevant State and Territory programmes to help students to:

• develop effective foundation skills, employment-related competencies and a capacity for ongoing learning;

• foster skills such as flexibility, communication and teamwork; and

• raise awareness of career options and improve career choices.

Enterprise and Career Education Programme

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation will have a key role in working with the Department in the development and delivery of the Enterprise and Career Education Programme to facilitate strategic use of the funds to support the development of an enterprising culture in Australian schools. It will administer a proportion of the programme funding to support enterprise education through the engagement of business, industry and the community with schools and schools systems.

The Enterprise and Career Education Foundation will complement the Department’s role with the schools sector by facilitating systematic engagement by business and industry at the national and local level in enterprise education.

Contact Details

Enquiries should be forwarded to: 

Enterprise and Career Education Branch
Department of Education, Science and Training
GPO Box 9880
Canberra ACT 2601

Email: EnterpriseEducation@dest.gov.au