Tjerk (Jack) Dusseldorp
Tjerk Dusseldorp’s early experiences as a young man in the United States drew him to his life’s work in the not-for-profit sector. Tjerk, also known as Jack, worked as a documentary filmmaker in America in the 1960s against the political backdrop of the Vietnam War. Imbued with a desire to address social injustice, Tjerk returned to Sydney with his young family taking up the role of the first Executive Director of the Evatt Foundation.
TRAC: Training Retail and Commerce
Australia was a harsh place for early school leavers in the late 1980s. Many young people were dropping out of high school – only 60% completed year 12 – and jobs were hard to find. Of all males aged 15 -19 years, a massive 19% per cent were unemployed.
History: Youth Transitions
The success of TRAC paved the way for the Forum’s focus on “Youth Transitions” for the following 10 years – as it highlighted critical school-to-work transition challenges in Australia. In 1997, the Forum’s senior researcher Richard Sweet approached seven leading researchers with an invite to join a collaborative study on young Australians.
History: Learning Choices
It was through the Forum’s work in “youth transitions” that the Learning Choices arena became increasingly apparent. Also known as alternative education or flexible learning, it was called “Learning Choices” by the Forum to emphasise that young people should have a say in deciding how they best learn, regardless of their interests, abilities, backgrounds and personal circumstances.
History: WorldSkills
WorldSkills Australia celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2012, after three decades of championing the development of thousands of Australia’s young skilled tradespeople through regional, national and international skill competitions.
GJ(Dick) Dusseldorp
In an industry plagued by frequent industrial conflict, Dick built his company around the value of recognising the community of interest between shareholders, workers, management, clients and community. This philosophy of finding or creating a common interest also found expression in his contributions to issues of community concern and public policy over the years.
