Reproduced courtesy of the West Australian
"Supporting ICV is an outstanding opportunity for Australian organisations to play an active role in reconciliation” Peter Steigrad, Co Chair - ICV
Why invest in ICV?
ICV needs sponsor support from Corporate Australia, philanthropic organisations and trusts to continue facilitating skills transfer in Indigenous Communities through the help of volunteers.
Contributing towards ICV is an investment not only in Indigenous communities but the wider Australian community as well.Skills transfer enables Indigenous communities to develop their aspirations and strengths. It’s a two way exchange that is essentially about working together to allow all people reach their potential.
The ICV model works. An evaluation of the effectiveness of ICV skills transfer was conducted in June 2004 by O’Brien Rich Research Group. Findings from 55 completed projects involving 47 volunteers:
84% of 298 community members trained believed that successful skills transfer took place
94% believed that the trainees could do their job well or very well as a result of the training
41% of the community trainees were already passing their skills on to others
72% believed that the skills would be used in some other aspect of community life in the future
ICV operates in a way that acknowledges respects and incorporates the cultural integrity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It works towards sustainable change which is driven by the communities. It is the communities that determine if, when and how projects will take place.