ABORIGINAL POWER CUP

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Youth. Will the minister advise how the government is supporting young people through the Aboriginal Power Cup?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:43): I thank the honourable member for his important question, and I sincerely hope that, like me, they are very strong supporters of Port. The Aboriginal Power Cup is an early intervention program developed in response to key recommendations from the Break the Cycle report. It engages young Aboriginal people at risk through sporting activities and encourages them to continue with their education and make positive life choices.

I attended the launch of the 2012 Aboriginal Power Cup along with the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Paul Caica, and in the presence of His Excellency the Governor, who is a patron of the program. The Aboriginal Power Cup involves individual and team-based activities. This raises awareness within the participants of the importance of personal health and wellbeing and self-worth, and promotes connections with communities and positive role models.

The focus for this year's Power Cup is transitions and personal identity. A young person's transition from adolescence into adulthood, along with their transition from school into work or further study, is a critical journey in their life. A significant part of this journey is a young person's connection to their culture, their community and the environment, as this helps to shape their identity. Building these connections and skills supports participants to navigate through these critical transitions from school to work and further study and beyond.

The Power Cup program requires participants to attend school on a regular basis during terms 1 and 2 and undertake all the required curriculum tasks. The program culminates in a carnival where participants compete in football games, participate in a career expo and attend various skills development and cultural workshops. Participants are selected to play in the grand final based on their successful completion of the curriculum tasks, as well as their performance on the field.

The 2011 Aboriginal Power Cup program was a fantastic success, with 280 students from 23 secondary schools taking part; 265 of these students were enrolled in the integrated learning SACE unit, with 213 (80 per cent) successfully completing. At this year's launch at Alberton Oval, home of the mighty Magpies, guests were entertained by Jack Buckskin and the Kuma Kaaru dancers. We also heard from two young women who, as successful participants of the 2011 Power Cup, are now participating in a school-based traineeship with Santos.

These traineeships allow young people to continue their education whilst gaining valuable skills, creating connections and maintaining relationships with positive role models. The Aboriginal Power Cup is another example of how the Weatherill Labor government is supporting young people to complete their studies, build their self-esteem and develop their skills into the future.