ABC Radio Melbourne
Cadetship Program
2nd year Doxa Youth Foundation Cadet, Rabel Kaka, was interviewed by ABC Radio Melbourne on the ‘Drive with Raf’ radio show to discuss his personal journey and how the Cadetship Program has supported him.
CBD News
Program
Cadetship Program
We are seeking Melbourne CBD based businesses to support young people who are part of the Doxa Youth Foundation Cadetship Program in 2019.
ABC Online
Cadetship Program
Hassan Nur Hussein is one of our University Pathways Program students who is seeking a place on our Cadetship Program.
Michael Perry was a Doxa Youth Foundation Cadet in 1999. Like many of our Cadets, Michael experienced challenges growing up and the Cadetship program was an invaluable support during his three year accountancy degree. Fast forward 20 years and Michael is now working at V/Line and mentoring next generation Doxa Youth Foundation Cadet, Rabel Kaka.
Michael shared fond memories about the comfort he felt knowing Doxa and his sponsor company took care of barriers, including the cost of text books, tutoring for subjects he struggled in, the Malmsbury residential camps and even his first business suit fitting. What’s more, Michael’s mentor at his sponsor company was a Cadet Alumni too so she got it, she understood Michael and what he was going through.
Michael credits Doxa Youth Foundation as integral to his success. He says,
“My experience in the Doxa Youth Foundation Cadetship program has seen me through the good and the bad. I’ve developed resilience, teamwork and leadership skills and confidence in myself and my ability to meet challenges head on. I’ve never forgotten where I’ve come from and the opportunities I have been afforded. I am forever grateful. I began university knowing I had Doxa Youth Foundation behind me. I was nervous about the cost of text books but that was taken care of and I could just focus on my studies. I remember being fitted for my first business suit, again thanks to Doxa Youth Foundation. I received tutoring for subjects I struggled in. I was supported, made to feel special. I was being set up for success.”
Michael is now working at V/Line, leading a team and recently, he’s taken on his own next generation Doxa Youth Foundation Cadet, Rabel Kaka.
Rabel’s family left Iraq about 5 years ago due to the imminent threat from ISIS, who had raided the next-closest village to Rabel’s home. Rabel came to Australia with no material possessions . As a refugee he experienced financial hardship as well as culture shock, isolation, loneliness and struggled with English during his first years in Australia. It was extremely hard to make friends and Rabel didn’t feel like he belonged anywhere.
Rabel has just completed his first 8-weeks of placement at V/Line, where Michael volunteered to be his mentor. Michael shared how incredible it felt providing a Doxa Cadet with the same support he needed in his early 20s. Rabel has brought with him fresh ideas, new perspectives and a youthful enthusiasm to learn and a willingness to challenge the status quo. Rabel says:
“The Doxa Youth Foundation Cadetship program has provided me with the opportunity of establishing a strong and supportive community of friends and mentors from different backgrounds and walks of life. Being part of the Cadetship program provided me with a priceless sense of confidence and empowerment. Having such a supportive and inspiring community around me has finally made Australia feel like home. On top of the personal support, the opportunity of applying my learning to a real-life workplace through my placement at V/Line has been invaluable. It has allowed me to understand and develop the necessary skills companies value and look for in a software engineer. This is an experience that makes me feel empowered and prepared for the future.”
Great cadets make for great graduate employees. Cadets leave university with at least 6 months of relevant work experience, not to mention their networking skills, employability skills and professional development, so they are going to have the competitive edge over their peers. Also, what better way to recruit ready-made assets into your business? We are looking for organisations to support our 2019 Cadets and we would love to hear from you.
Getting through university and into a job can be tough. And if a student is new to a city or hasn’t got an established network it can be even tougher. On top of this there are bills to pay and study to get through.
Doxa’s Cadetship Program supports young people to complete university and gain the skills for an employable future and success in the professional world.
Cadetships are open to young people with challenging life circumstances who have finished high school and are about to go to university. These young people have secured a place at university but are facing significant barriers.
Everyone is different, but this could be financial difficulty, family trauma, being culturally and/or linguistically diverse, being from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background, or a refugee and/or migrant background.
Since 1993, around 500 young people have participated in the Doxa Cadetship Program.
It is a program that supports young people through university and is one of the most intensive support programs available to disadvantaged undergraduates within the sector.
Doxa CEO, Steve Clifford, said that: “We have a diverse range of students all in great need. These young people are experiencing, and have experienced, significant disadvantage in their lives. Many are the first in their family to attend university; most are supplementing studies with part-time work. They simply don’t have the social capital, financial support or professional networks that you and I had.”
“What they do have is the skills, a growth mindset and incredible drive to succeed in business and in life. But they need your help in order to achieve this.
“We are calling out for all Melbourne-based organisations – everyone from a corporate big 4 to small, independent start-ups – to take on a Doxa Cadet this year.”
Corporate partners support the program by providing an annual flexible work placement (up to eight weeks per annum) with staff from sponsor companies participating as Mentors, supporting and guiding their Cadet to navigate the world of work.
This CSR-aligned social investment opportunity offers corporate partners a talented undergraduate as part of their team, skilled volunteering opportunities for existing staff and a chance to change the life of a high achieving young person from a disadvantaged background.
Doxa supports corporate partners by: providing a shortlist of talented applicants relevant to their sector; running professional development workshops and networking opportunities throughout the year; building a learning and development framework; providing mentoring and recruitment support, as well as on-boarding advice.
“We see key trends in areas of study each year and in 2019, our students are predominantly studying Business, Commerce, Health and Finance. They’re smart, tech-savvy, entrepreneurial Gen Z-ers. They want to change the world. Are you ready to be a part of their future? Then partner with us and join us on the journey,” said Clifford.
The Cadetship program is part of Doxa’s portfolio, a series of programs from grade 5 to university that dovetail together and support educational attainment while also offering practical skills and experience to assist in a young person’s journey towards meaningful employment.
To get involved or for more information on the Doxa Cadetship Program, please visit www.doxa.org.au.
About Doxa
Doxa is a Victorian not-for-profit organisation that provides programs for disadvantaged young people so that they can access positive life experiences, education opportunities and employment pathways. Doxa has been around since 1972 and their programs support over 8,000 young Victorians – typically aged eight to 24 years old – each year. Every young person they interact with has a different set of life circumstances. Doxa’s aim is to ensure that all young people enjoy enriching experiences, educational opportunity and advancement.
For media enquiries on behalf of Doxa, please contact
Progressive PR & Communications
03 9696 6417
Darren Saffin / Jodie Artis
0411 089 209 / 0414 699 186
darren@progressivepr.com.au / jodie@progressivepr.com.au
Ballarat Courier
University Pathways Program
STUDENTS from Mount Clear College took park in Doxa’s University Pathways Program in Melbourne’s CBD last week.
Berwick News & Packenham News
University Pathways Program
Getting into university can be tough. What to study, where to study it, what is work going to be like once all the study is over? For a young adult in high school, the information on offer can be overwhelming.
Shepparton News
University Pathways Program
Year 12 students from across Victoria, including Numurkah Secondary College, headed to Melbourne this week to take part in the Doxa University Pathways Program.
Shepparton Adviser
University Pathways Program
Two Numurkah Secondary College students were given the opportunity to gain new skills and get a first-hand taste of university life and the world of work, through the innovative Doxa University Pathways Program held recently.
Northern Leader
Summer Camp at Malmsbury
HUME students with a taste for adventure are spending their summer holidays learning new skills and exploring the bush at Doxa Malmsbury Camp in central Victoria.
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