The Beacon Foundation has been assisting students in transitioning from school to work for over 35 years.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
The Beacon Foundation, a national not-for-profit organisation, has spent more than 35 years helping students bridge the divide between school and work, connecting them with real-world career pathways before graduation.
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Beacon Foundation project co-ordinator Cath Elms said while Beacon began in Tasmania in 1988, it had since grown to mainland Australia, operating with a distinctive model in the Echuca-Moama region.
“We are unique in that we are run by a board of directors, as the other Beacons are siloed in individual schools,” Cath said.
“We sit outside of the schools and cover five schools in Echuca Moama.”
The initiative encompasses Australian Christian College, Echuca, Twin Rivers, Moama Grammar, Echuca College and St Joseph’s College, facilitating larger joint events and a more integrated regional strategy.
A cornerstone of the program is its student leadership component.
Year 8 students can apply for Beacon Leader positions that they take up in Year 9, subsequently helping develop and implement programs for Years 9 and 10 students throughout the year.
“It keeps it more youth-focused and more current,” Cath said.
“It has been a long time since I’ve been a teenager, so it is really great to hear from those leaders and find out what they think will work better.”
The forthcoming pathways pledge ceremony, set to host more than 500 students, demonstrates this youth-driven approach.
The event will showcase keynote speaker Ben Welch, recognised for his 444 run that generated over half a million dollars for Headspace along the Murray River.
The ceremony will feature a panel discussion steered by Beacon leaders, including diverse voices from a university graduate, a local business owner, an apprentice, and Zach Phyland, who found employment at the Moama Bowling Club through Vivid disability services.
“The leaders will be talking to them, asking questions, and hopefully, between those five speakers, every single student in that room will be able to pick up something out of that discussion,” Cath said.
“The main purpose of Beacon is to help students to make better informed decisions so they can continue to pursue training, education or employment.”
Throughout the year, Beacon coordinates various initiatives, starting with a business breakfast for the Beacon leaders, sponsors, schools and supporters of the program.
Beacon organises various events throughout the year, including a career expo with over 50 industries to help students explore different career paths.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
The largest event Beacon runs in the area each year is the career expo, which this year showcased more than 50 different industries, enabling students to explore four different career paths through hands-on sessions.
“The students visit four different industries throughout the morning for 20 minutes, having a deep dive into each of those four different industries,” Cath said.
“We spend quite a bit of time with our industries, discussing how they should present to the students.
“We encourage them to do hands-on engagement, a demonstration of what a day in the life might look like, things that students might not know about the industry, interesting facts, all the different opportunities within an industry that students may not have thought of.
“It is exposing local industry to our students, our future workforce, starting relationships, and also relationships with our schools, so an industry might be able to connect in better with the school, opening up that pathway.”
If you or your business would like to help young people in the region find a real-world career pathway that is right for them, reach out to Beacon Foundation project co-ordinator Cath Elms at the CCLLEN on 03 5482 6055 or beaconfoundation.org.au
Beacon helps young people in the region find real-world career pathways that are right for them.
Photo by
JORDAN TOWNROW
