Background

While Australia’s young indigenous population have greater access than ever before to a university education, statistics continue to reflect disparity.  During 2010, students who self-identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander comprised of just 0.9 per cent of all enrolments in 2010, and 1.0 per cent of commencements.

Recent studies have shown that access to higher education isn’t the issue – it’s retention.  Course enrolments and commencements by Aboriginal students are increasing but course completion is declining.  During 2010, just 0.005% of tertiary education graduates (1, 437 compared to 288, 629) were indigenous.

The Classic Wallabies Exchange Program seeks to address this gap.  It measures success on completion – not just access; careers – not just jobs; leadership by example – not just participation.

It involves partnerships between the Classic Wallabies, the Australian and South African tertiary education sector and a number of Indigenous community engagement partners in a united approach to improve university enrolments and increase career prospects amongst Australian and South African candidates.

Mission

The Classic Wallabies’ Exchange (CWE) program will provide leadership opportunities to indigenous tertiary students, and will be delivered in three key areas:

• Providing mentoring opportunities throughout the student’s tertiary degree with support from the Classic Wallabies;
• Enriching the student’s tertiary degree course through a semester scholarship to a participating Eidos-affiliated overseas university; and
• Developing the student’s leadership skills in community-engagement projects

The Project

Having been successfully launched in both South Africa and Australia during 2012, the CWE is currently engaging corporate partners and contributors to fund a defined number of six-month scholarships for Indigenous tertiary education students to a South African university (Cape Town or Pretoria).

The CWE program will build on the momentum of the successful Learn Earn Legend! initiative which seeks to build aspirations amongst Indigenous youth through links to rugby league mentors and brand ambassadors and targets a significant disparity between the numbers of indigenous and non-indigenous Australians completing a Bachelor degree or higher.

Partner Organisations

Lead partner organisations include:

• The Eidos Institute
• The ‘Classic Wallabies’
• The University of Queensland
• The University of Sydney
• The University of Pretoria

For further details of the founding supporters and partners of the Classic Wallabies Exchange, click here to download the program’s partnership matrix.

(Clockwise from top left: 1. Mr Tim Nicholls MP - Treasurer and Minsiter for Trade and Prof. Bruce Muirhead - CEO, Eidos Institute. 2. Mr Rod McCall - Classic Wallabies and Mr Tim Mander - MP, Member for Everton and Assistant Minister for Sport and Racing. 3. Special and invited guests 4. The Panel; Mr Jeff Miller - CEO, Classic Wallabies, Prof. Cheryl de la Rey - VC, University of Pretoria, Ms Catherine O'Sullivan - Queensland State Manager, DEEWR, Mr Rod McCall - Classic Wallabies.

News and Updates

• The recent Australian launch of the Classic Wallabies Exchange Program saw former Australian Wallaby captains Paul McLean, Mark Loane, Andrew Slack, Tony Shaw, Bill Ross, Rod McCall and David Codey attend a ‘Cocktail’s for a Cause’ evening at the Queensland Rugby Cub.  

Notable guests speakers included Professor Cheryl de la Rey, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Pretoria, former Wallaby player and founding Classic Wallabies Exchange Chair Brendan Nasser and Catherine O’Sullivan, Queensland State Director of the Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations.

 For photos and for full media coverage, please visit the Eidos Facebook page.  Stay tuned for video footage from the evening.

• Filming is currently in progress for a promotional video interviewing former Australian Wallaby captains and sports stars, tertiary education leaders and young Indigenous ambassadors regarding their views on the use of sport and rugby union as a social bridge builder for Indigenous youth.