NRL School to Work Program Deepens Cultural Connection for Gold Coast Students

Almost 50 Indigenous students from schools across the greater Gold Coast and Northern New South Wales region recently gathered at the Guanaba Indigenous Protected Area for a significant cultural engagement initiative.

Organised as part of the NRL School to Work program, the event provided students from institutions including Foxwell State Secondary College, Robina State High School, Southport State High School, St Josephs College Banora Point, Upper Coomera State College, Elanora State High School, and Helensvale State High School with hands-on learning experiences.

Facilitated by the Ngarang-Wal Gold Coast Aboriginal Association Incorporated, the students participated in traditional activities such as bushwalking, arts and crafts, painting, beading, and spear throwing, while gaining insights into local history through storytelling and the showcasing of traditional artefacts.

The NRL School to Work program serves as a critical education and employment initiative that leverages the profile of rugby league to support young Indigenous Australians. By focusing on work experience, mentoring, and leadership opportunities, the program is designed to facilitate the successful completion of secondary education and the subsequent transition into tertiary study, vocational training, or direct employment.

The event was bolstered by the participation of Gold Coast Titans NRLW players Jaime Chapman, Lailani Montgomery, Phoenix-Raine Hippi, and Sienna Lofipo. Despite the demands of their pre-season preparations for the upcoming NRLW round, the players contributed their expertise to the students, focusing on essential skills such as goal setting and managing mental and physical health. For Bundjalung woman Phoenix-Raine Hippi, the day was a significant opportunity to nurture cultural identity. “It’s fantastic; I was one of the few that was very lucky to grow up immersed in culture, so being around some of these kids where this is their first time coming to these, it’s an awesome thing to be a part of. I wish they’d do a lot more for these kids in the cities, specifically around culture,” Hippi said.

Melekai Williams, a recent addition to the NRL School to Work team, emphasised that the program prioritises long-term career outcomes while maintaining a strong cultural foundation. “Primarily our role is to help the Year 11-12 Indigenous students, to help them with their career pathways and give them opportunities for after school, whether they be jobs, TAFE, uni. It is about making sure that they’ve got a pathway after they leave school … and to make sure that they’re being proactive and productive,” Williams stated. He further highlighted the strategic importance of such cultural days within the broader curriculum. “Cultural days like this actually ties in really well with our program, specifically because we try to implement a lot of culture into the program for students. We work with Indigenous children, so we work to keep them in touch with culture. Even though they might not know their own culture, but to know of culture is definitely something special and something that they need to hold closer to them because that is part of their identity. It’s very important and obviously grateful for an event like this,” Williams added.

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