Essendon Football Club is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Victorian Government for the new Bombers’ Bright Futures project.

The Bombers’ Bright Futures project will directly benefit Melbourne’s north-west indigenous community, supporting employers, business and local industry to assist in increasing employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The program supports activities that encourage and help employers to provide sustainable employment opportunities and encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to take up training and improve their future employment prospects.

In addition, the project will help communities, industry bodies and groups of employers to develop strategies that support local and regional economic growth, providing support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander job seekers and community organisations and employers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Minister for Employment and Trade Louise Asher said the program will create new employment pathways for young Indigenous people and assist them to develop their skills through practical vocational training.

“Essendon Football Club will work directly with local businesses, industry and the community to generate long- term, sustainable job opportunities for young Aboriginal people,” Asher said.

“The sport of AFL brings Victorians together, and Essendon has long been a strong advocate of providing positive opportunities and motivation to the Aboriginal community. Economic participation is a key tool if we are to reduce disadvantage for Aboriginal Victorians and this program will be a major contributor to this goal.”

Essendon Community Manager Cameron Britt said the project is an important initiative in engaging the wider Aboriginal community in Victoria.

“Essendon Football Club has a long and proud history of supporting Indigenous Australia and we strongly believe the new Bombers’ Bright Futures initiative will be able to make a big difference,” Britt said.

“As a club, we have benefitted from the outstanding contribution of some remarkable Indigenous Australian talent such as Michael Long and Gavin Wanganeen, and it is vitally important that we continue to develop and engage with the Aboriginal community.

“This new program will see the club play an important role as a broker for ongoing training, development and employment opportunities between jobseekers and local industry, club partners and associated networks.”

Essendon Football Club delivers programs in the Indigenous communities of Wadeye and the Tiwi Islands, has formal partnerships with Indigenous sporting clubs Tiwi Bombers, Wadeye Magic and the Rumbalara Football Netball Club and is an official partner of The Long Walk.

The Bomber’s Bright Futures project is a feature of the State Government’s Employment Start Up for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Jobseekers program.

Essendon will face Richmond this Saturday in the annual Dreamtime at the ‘G clash.