Established in 2000 as a primary school after sports program Pass Australia has evolved a lot from this time. Pass Australia is now a not-for-profit organisation with designated gift recipient status. 95% of our staff employed are indigenous, however we are not an indigenous corporation.

The organisation was started by a non-indigenous person who was approached to introduce his program to a number of indigenous communities. Through these experiences, developed a strong passion for helping indigenous youth. This was done through the engagement of sport initially, and this person, Brenden Jones, is still CEO of the business today.

Working with indigenous youth is something all the team feel very strongly about, regardless of their cultural background, and it reinforces our core beliefs in integration of both indigenous and non-indigenous people across Australia. All cultures and all Australian businesses should participate in Reconciliation. Someone doesn’t need to be indigenous to care about ‘closing the gap’ and the needs of indigenous people. 12 years in this field demonstrates the type of passion Pass Australia has for indigenous people, their community and their culture. This experience in community both remote and urban with indigenous people is what has made our program so successful. Over this time we have learned a great deal about working with indigenous people and what the needs of indigenous people are. This has helped us become a leader in this field.

Where funding permits we also provide places for other non-indigenous students ‘at risk’ of disengaging from school and do our best to provide them with a place on our program to help them establish a postive pathway opportunity too.

At Pass Australia although we deliver indigenous games, our staff have gained this knowledge by undertaking an indigenous games qualification and Pass Australia strives to learn from the indigenous people within the organisation and the indigenous board members. All staff have or are in the process of receiving cross-cultural training as a requirement of employment with Pass Australia and part of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).

The foundation of what is delivered in the Pass Australia Program was developed and continues to be developed by Pass Australia Pty Ltd. The addition of cultural games delivery has been to compliment what we deliver in the ‘Multi-Sport and Cultural Games’ Program to help enhance cultural knowledge within primary schools. We don’t teach culture we simply pass on the stories that have been shared with us and enable the indigenous staff to share their cultural knowledge in the hope that people will develop a positive experience with Indigenous Culture through Pass Australia and the staff.

Our program is not indigenous specific we have just adopted indigenous elements to promote and celebrate the traditional Australian Culture and have developed a program model that works for the indigenous community through our learned knowledge of their needs and consultation with our indigenous staff and other indigenous people.

Our staff uniforms, website and company branding are an example of this. Designed by indigenous staff who work for Pass Australia or using components of indigenous art that has been painted for Pass Austraila. We had these developed to celebrate the richness of culture of indigenous Australians and give Pass Australia an identity that demonstrated our love of indigenous art and culture. They are also a strong sense of pride for all of us who wear this uniform.

Pass Australia continues to grow stronger. In 2011 we provided 525 School Based Traineeship positions this year to Indigenous Youth in Year 10, 11 and 12 across Queensland in support of ‘Closing the Gap’ and creating greater community leaders for the future and in 2012 we have secured another 400 places to deliver the DEEWR funded Indigenous Youth Careers Pathway Program across Queensland.

Pass Australia’s ‘Indigenous Youth Careers Pathway Program Model’ © enables the paid employment of indigenous youth to do a school based traineeship to support them through completion of their secondary education and transition them from school to an ‘Earn or Learn’ Pathway. We provide structured mentoring support, teaching them valuable life skills for their future while exposing them to Industry Partners who have entry level career opportunities for our kids today.

Our 2 year ‘Indigenous Youth Careers Pathway Program Model’ © offers a complete Indigenous Youth – Careers Pathway Program Suite.

Whats on at Pass Australia in 2012

Brisbane Events 2012
Cairns Events 2012
Townsville Events 2012