Scotty’s bakery job raising hopes for Indigenous youth in Alice

At five days old, Scotty Goodwin was abandoned by his alcoholic mother. Now 14, he is the centre of a landmark project to get NT Indigenous youths in jobs and out of trouble.

Scotty Goodwin, 14, who was “abandoned by his alcoholic mother” at five days old, working at NT Bakery with baker and Alice Springs advocate Darren Clark. Picture: Liam Mendes

At five days old, Scotty Goodwin was found by Alice Springs’ Todd River, abandoned by his alcoholic mother.

Now the 14-year-old is the centre of a landmark project, which has been briefed to Anthony Albanese, to get Indigenous youths in the Northern Territory in jobs, engaged with the community and, most importantly, out of trouble.

It comes as Alice Springs is in the middle of a serious escalation of a crime crisis, heavily fuelled by youths, that has long gripped the NT, after a two-month-old baby was allegedly assaulted last week by home-invading teenagers who had collectively been charged with almost 300 other offences and bailed 35 times.

Last weekend, a healthcare worker was allegedly raped by a 22-year-old.

Alice Springs baker Darren Clark, who is behind the social media advocacy group Action for Alice that for years has been highlighting the serious escalation of violence in the town, is confident if the project is expanded, it will get young at-risk Aboriginal youth access to training, employment and mentoring to change the trajectory of their life.

A younger Scotty Goodwin. Picture: Supplied

Scotty Goodwin hard at work. Picture: Liam Mendes

Mr Clark said the program was aimed at giving young people hope and a chance at life, by giving them the purposeful employment – and Scotty is proof the concept works.

The project has the backing of federal Labor MP Marion Scrymgour, who says she was in disbelief when she saw Scotty working at the bakery, and believes an expansion of the program could help children who had “fallen through the gaps”.

“There are many young Scottys out there that this would be a really important program to act as a stepping stone towards getting them off the streets and into small businesses,” Ms Scrymgour said.

“I think (the program) is an important thing to be supported and to look at,” she said.

She said the expansion of the program had the support of the previous NT Labor government, and she hoped the CLP would support it too.

For more than a year, the bright, dedicated and rather cheeky Scotty has been working at the bakery. With the agreement of his parents and his school, he goes in to work on a Wednesday and a Saturday morning, and is paid.

Scotty Goodwin with his dad on their way to Melbourne on a ticket he paid for with money he saved from working at the bakery. Picture: Scott Goodwin

His saving has allowed him to travel interstate and buy clothing, shoes and gadgets.

But last week, his father says, when he went to spend some of his hard-earned money at the local Target store, he was blocked from entering by a security guard.

A light-skinned friend of his was allowed inside.

Recently, he had his PlayStation stolen, which his parents say made him feel “extremely frustrated” as, despite obstacles, he’s trying to do the right thing and earn what he has and not take what is not his.

Scotty, speaking candidly with The Australian, volunteers that he has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but is adamant that won’t stop him in his pursuit of becoming a baker.

“I like working in the bakery because I get free food and I enjoy being here,” he says.

“The kids that run around the street don’t have no one to talk to, that’s the reason they go running around and breaking into stuff, they don’t have no one to talk to about their feelings,” he says.

He says he believes Indigenous children like himself should be working at a younger age.

“I like coming here seeing lots of people, the customers like seeing me,” he says.