By Amber Kristof, Chief People Officer

We’re really excited to announce a two-year Vocus partnership with Stars Foundation, an organisation dedicated to mentoring and empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls and young women at school.

Education is a powerful tool for change. It opens doors to opportunities, more fulfilling careers, improves health outcomes, and enhances overall quality of life.

Our Community Connections pillar sits within Vocus’ Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Strategy, and aims to broaden the diversity of the ICT sector by connecting under-represented groups with opportunities for skill-building, networking and employment. Our partnership with Stars Foundation is an investment in the development of the next generation of Indigenous leaders and innovators.

Stars’ impressive results

Stars Foundation operates full-time within 62 partner schools across Australia, providing support to over 3,400 Indigenous girls and young women.

Their approach to mentoring covers education and employment, healthy lifestyle, wellbeing and community and culture and leadership. This approach helps build confidence, strengthen students’ cultural connections, and helps develop the skills needed to succeed.

The results of Stars Foundation's work are impressive. 92% of Year 12 Stars students in 2023 successfully completed their final year, compared to the national Indigenous average of 65%. In addition, 85% of 2022 Stars Graduates nationwide have successfully transitioned to employment or further study and remain in positions as of February 2024.

The changing landscape of work

The nature of work is evolving. We hear this from customers every day as we work with them to build solutions to the challenges they bring to us.

The rise of data analytics, digital process transformation and artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and redefining the skills needed to thrive in the workforce.

While Australia’s traditional powerhouse economic sectors like mining and agriculture will remain important, wrapped around and through them will be a demand for greater innovation to achieve more with less.

Alongside that, new opportunities are emerging in fields like clean energy, advanced manufacturing and digital innovation.

For Australia to seize these opportunities, we need to invest not only in technology but also the people who will drive these changes.

This is where Stars Foundation’s work is so important. By supporting the education and development of Indigenous girls and young women, we are helping to develop the people who will be critical to Australia's future success.

The ripple effect of positive change

The impact of Stars Foundation’s work extends far beyond the individual students who participate in their program.

Every young woman who completes her education and goes on to lead a successful career becomes a role model for others in her community. She inspires her peers, her family, and future generations to pursue their dreams and make positive changes in their lives.

As these accomplished young women enter the workforce and bring their unique perspectives and skills to bear on the challenges facing our society, we believe they will help to drive innovation and progress. It is the future workers, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, and leaders who will shape the future of Australia.

Vocus is committed to making a lasting difference in the communities we serve. Our investment in education through our partnership with Stars Foundation is about making positive and impactful change.