Earlier this week, Dyldam Parramatta Eels hooker Nathan Peats met with three participants of the NRL One Community School to Work Program - Brianna Keogh, Javen Connor and Zoe Langworthy.
The School To Work Program is an education and employment program that utilises the positive profile of the game of Rugby League to support and encourage young Indigenous Australians to stay at school, get a job, and be a legend for themselves, their families and their communities.
Formed in 2012 by the Eels and several other NRL clubs, the School to Work program provides young Indigenous Australians with work experience, mentoring and leadership opportunities to ensure they successfully complete school and transition into further study, training or meaningful employment.
“Brianna is interested in becoming a veterinarian, and has just completed work experience in doing that,” School to Work Project Officer Nathan Lovett said of his students.
“The other young student, Javen, he is yet to really decide what he wants to do but for the next two years we will work on identifying that, and creating experiences where he will be able to create an aspiration towards a career.”
Langworthy has completed the School to Work program in 2015, looking to progress into full time employment in the new year.
“Zoe, she just finished Year 12, and she wants to go on an join the police force. She has an interview in January to determine whether or not she gets in.” he added.
Year 10 students Keogh and Connor have been nominated for the upcoming Youth Summit and the two will meet with Peats and other NRL players of the NRL Indigenous All Stars ahead of the All Stars match next year taking part in culture sessions.
The weeklong Youth Summit also provides workshops that enhance skills and knowledge or the participants in the following three areas; Cultural knowledge; Success at school; Success post school.
“Hopefully for Javen, he will be get to meet a lot of other indigenous people and create a nice social and professional network with the different organisations that speak to the kids during the summit,” Lovett said.
“Hopefully they can also meet some of the players and get an idea from them as to how they got to where they are and hopefully the players can help inspire them to where they want to be.”
“Working with the kids is really rewarding and a really nice feeling to see the students go on and move into something bigger in life than what they might not have had” Lovett added.
For more information on the School to Work program, click here.
