• 2008 At A Glance
• Our Approach To Sustainability
• Our Approach To Sustainability Reporting
• Our Stakeholders
• Sustainable Development Governance
• Healthy People
• Safe Workplaces
• Environmental Commitment
• Our People
• Social Responsibility
  • Social Responsibility - Our Approach
  • Working With Communities
  • Community Investment Strategy
  • Community Projects
  • Community Programs and Foundations
  • Involving Our Employees
  • Human Rights
  • Stewardship
  • 2008 Performance
  • Case Studies
• Socio-Economic
• Case Studies
• Reports
• HSEC News
• Contact Details

Developing The Business Skills Of Young People

Young Achievement Australia (YAA) is a not-for-profit organisation with a 25 year history in developing the business skills of young people.

The Business Skills program is an intensive six month enterprise experience that educates young people about all aspects of running a business. During the six months, a team of students set up and operate a small business. The program provides students with an in-depth, practical opportunity to develop and demonstrate key competencies and enterprise skills in a supportive yet challenging team environment.

Students also have opportunities to:

• Learn from positive business role models.
• Develop leadership, teamwork, communication, presentation, decision making, planning and time management skills.
• Demonstrate initiative and exercise responsibility and accountability.

As a program sponsor, BHP Billiton provides business mentors to advise the student teams. ýBHP Billiton and YAA work closely together to implement the program, and ensure its success across participating BHP Billiton sites.

For YAA, BHP Billiton's support provides:

• Financial support for the program.
• Access to the Business Skills program to a greater number of students, particularly those in regional areas.
• Business mentors to assist in the implementation and ongoing success of the program.

The Business Skills program has laid the foundation for a successful partnership between YAA and BHP Billiton. BHP Billiton participates in the program in a number of locations throughout Australia.

Joint (BHP Billiton and YAA) measures of success include:

• Feedback from employees who have participated in the program as business mentors. The program is stimulating increasing interest amongst employees from all areas of the company, with more people volunteering to participate as business mentors.
• An increase in the number of participating BHP Billiton sites.
• Positive feedback from BHP Billiton participants at YAA's reflective sessions with business mentors.
• Participation in the Business Skills program increased by more than 150 per cent in New South Wales alone.
• Greater awareness of YAA through its association with BHP Billiton.
• Increased prospective sponsor interest in YAA in the Illawarra region of New South Wales due to the success of BHP Billiton's involvement in 1999.
• BHP Billiton involvement and the success of its employees as advisers has been a positive model for YAA to use when establishing new corporate partnerships.