In 1988, an accountant, a sociologist, and an engineer were worried about a big problem. There was an endless cycle of unemployment in the Tasmanian community. Students were being taught a curriculum that had no relevance to the world of work. And worse still, it seemed like nothing was being done about it.

Across the State, there was an epidemic of students leaving school and never working. Clearly, something was broken. Young people weren’t finding employment. Industries weren’t finding employees. There had to be a way to bridge that gap.

Our research started at one small school in Launceston. Students were introduced to volunteers from businesses around the community. As these volunteers began talking about what they do, the idea of employment was slowly demystified. One day at a time, students found a new confidence in themselves.

When we finished, the results hit the front page of local newspapers. Suddenly, students from this school were graduating and finding work. A little Tasmanian initiative had shown the country how to fix a serious problem. And that’s how Beacon was born.

From that first school, we now reach hundreds. We’re connecting industries with tens of thousands of students. We rally local businesses into action. Working in communities, we create opportunities for industry volunteers to have impactful career connections for students.

But we’re nowhere near done. Our end goal isn’t to change employment outcomes. It’s to change the system itself. We want a future where there is no Beacon. And we need your help getting there.