Life after high school can feel like an overwhelming prospect for many students, especially for those who have fewer opportunities to explore what’s possible.
In support of its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), Suncorp has partnered with the Clontarf Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation which runs school-based academies to improve the education, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.
Suncorp CEO Customer Marketplace, Pip Marlow, said Suncorp was proud to support a program which is having an incredible impact on the lives of so many families.
“Quality education is such an important part of life, especially during the younger years - it can be a defining factor in our future success,” Ms Marlow said.
“I felt privileged to spend some time with some of the students, it was incredible to see the amazing difference Clontarf is having in helping young men, not only enjoy their education, but thrive in every aspect of their school and home life.”
Our partnership aims to extend the positive work of Clontarf – we want to give these young men another way to experience life beyond school and hopefully help them feel inspired to think about their future and career.
Pip Marlow, CEO Customer Marketplace
“At Suncorp, our people are passionate about making a positive impact for their customers and communities, and they’re always looking for ways to build their own cultural awareness and capabilities. This is a program I know they will all embrace.”
As part of the partnership, Clontarf students are invited to participate in exposure days at Suncorp, where they will gain an insight into the diversity of roles, people and working environments within the Group’s stores and head offices across the country.
Clontarf Foundation Founder and CEO, Gerard Neesham, said students can learn so much from speaking with other people about their career journeys, making this a powerful partnership for students.
“We can’t do what we do without the support of companies, like Suncorp, who share our commitment to boosting opportunities for Indigenous communities,” Mr Neesham said.
“Since starting Clontarf in 2000 we have seen the value of this program, not only in supporting the students but in delivering benefits to the local and broader communities.
“We’re thrilled to work with Suncorp and welcome their teams into the academies. These local relationships help the students think more about possible careers and experiences after school – it makes something they talk and dream about feel more real, and that support is invaluable.”
Since opening its first academy for 25 boys in 2000, the foundation has grown to cater today for more than 8,300 Indigenous boys in 112 schools across Western Australia, Northern Territory, Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland.
The school attendance rate for Clontarf participants nationwide is 80 per cent, and 90 per cent of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys enrolled at participating schools are members of the Foundation’s academies.
About the Clontarf Foundation
The Clontarf Foundation is a not-for-profit that exists to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and by doing so equips them to participate meaningfully in society. They are supported through Clontarf Academies, which are located within more than 112 high schools nationally. Full time, locally-based Clontarf Foundation team members mentor and counsel the students on a range of behavioural and lifestyle issues, while the school caters for their educational needs.
