Empowering YOUth Initiative
- Written by: Senator Cash Media Release
Youth TO BENEFIT FROM INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO HELP THEM INTO WORK
Consistent with the Governments focus on jobs and ensuring our youth are job ready, the Government today announced the first organisations to deliver the new Empowering YOUth Initiatives. These organisations will provide a range of new and innovative ways to help vulnerable young people into sustainable employment.
Minister for Employment, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, today visited Headspace in Dandenong with Liberal candidate for Bruce, Helen Kroger, to announce the successful organisations under round one of the programme.
“Organisations such as Headspace have thought outside the box to come up with innovative ways to engage in a young person’s life at a time when they are at a crossroads and at risk of falling into welfare dependency,” Minister Cash said.
“Young Australians are at a stage in their lives when their potential is immense and they have a lifetime of gainful employment in front of them - policies and programmes must be implemented to ensure they do not enter a cycle of long term unemployment.”
Headspace is one of the 20 innovative organisations selected through a highly competitive grant process to deliver Empowering YOUth Initiatives.
Each of these organisations was selected for their experience and their innovative approaches to engage young people and help them break through obstacles that are limiting their job prospects.
“Youth unemployment, both globally and in Australia, is unacceptably high,” Minister Cash said.
“We know that early intervention is fundamental, particularly for those who need additional support to become more competitive in the job market.”
The Coalition Government is focused on providing the right mix of services and support under the Australian Government’s $331 million Youth Employment Strategy, announced in the 2015-16 Budget, to tackle youth unemployment.
“Governments must always be willing to look at innovative approaches. I am pleased to see these approaches being tested to help more young people start and keep job.”
Empowering YOUth Initiatives will support measures from not-for-profit and non-government organisations to help long-term unemployed young people, or those at risk of long-term unemployment, to find and stay in employment. Further rounds will be announced mid-year.
For more information on Empowering YOUth Initiatives and other support available for young people under the Government’s Youth Employment Strategy visit: http://www.employment.gov.au/youth
The organisations to be offered an opportunity to deliver Empowering YOUth Initiatives under the first round are:
|
Organisation |
Assistance |
Participants |
|
Headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation Ltd (VIC including regional centres)
|
Current intensive vocational assistance is to be expanded through a digital platform and an integrated primary health care setting including access to mental health clinicians. |
Young Indigenous people, early school leavers and young people in regional centres with mild to moderate mental health issues. |
|
Workforce Plus Inc (Broadmeadows, Colan and national sites) |
Exposing young people to work related skills and simulation training through an interactive multi-media game and followed with work experience to put learning into practice. |
Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse young people, rurally isolated young people, young people with disabilities and early school leavers. |
|
Geelong Ethnic Communities Council Inc (Barwon region - Geelong and surrounding areas)
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A 12 month programme delivered over five phases providing a mix of individual and targeted support, training and participant matching with industry mentors. |
Culturally and linguistically diverse young people including refugees and young people still in school. |
|
Western BACE Limited (Brimbank and Melton) |
Partnering with Microsoft to provide training and work experience in ICT. This includes mentoring, support and paid traineeships with corporate partners. |
Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. |
|
Graceades Community Cottage (South West and Western Sydney) |
Filling a gap in the construction industry by providing a mix of industry-based training while addressing barriers using work-related training and support. For example, using workplace health and safety learning to address literacy issues. |
Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse young people and socially disadvantaged young people. |
|
NSW Business Chamber (NSW regional areas) |
An employer led initiative to address the gap between current career advice and what employers need. The mobile hub will focus on areas with low school retention rates and disengaged youth. |
Young people in regional NSW, Indigenous young people and early school leavers (or disengaged students in years 9 to 12). |
|
Settlement Services International (South West Sydney and Greater Western Sydney) |
Focussing on helping young migrants and refugees to keep their jobs including by working with employers to break down cultural barriers preventing sustained employment. |
Recently arrived culturally and linguistically diverse migrants or refugees. |
|
Kings Community (Redfern, Canterbury Bankstown, Blacktown and Parramatta) |
Utilising the high profile role models from Sydney Kings to encourage disengaged young people through a mix of events, coaching and mentoring, job placements and leadership programmes. |
Recently arrived culturally and linguistically diverse migrants or refugees. |
|
Organisation |
Assistance |
Participants |
|
Kiama Community College (Wollongong, Shellharbour, Nowra, Goulburn and Queanbeyan
|
Access to supported training and paid work to encourage interest and employability in the ICT area through the Digital Business Hub social enterprise. |
Young people with Aspergers or related conditions.
|
|
Brisbane Broncos Rugby League (Ballina and Lismore)
|
The positive brand of the Brisbane Broncos is used to increase school retention rates and the employment prospects for disengaged young people. This is through a mix of case management (including families), skills training, careers assistance and intensive support. |
Indigenous young people and early school leavers. |
|
Fraser Coast Training Employment Support Service (Gympie, Maryborough, Hervey Bay/Pialba, Bundaberg, Biddenden/Gayndah and Cherbourg) |
A social enterprise providing young people with work experience and training through a driver business school. Young people are encouraged to earn their driver’s licence through attendance and progress in the programme. |
Young people from disadvantaged and Indigenous backgrounds. |
|
United Synergies (Sunshine Coast) |
A mix of face-to-face and technology approaches to address employment needs of young people in regional centres. This 12 week programme also encourages young people to support each other to supplement support also available from coaches and employers. |
Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse young people, young people from jobless families, young parents and young offenders and early school leavers. |
|
YMCA Perth and Community Services (South Hedland, Geraldton, Narrogin and Albany)
|
Building employability by focusing on a respected role within the community: life-saving. Graduates will be guaranteed an offer of casual employment. |
Indigenous young people.
|
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White Lion (Perth - Cullacabardee, Balga, Mirrabooka, Ballajura, Girrawheen, Koondoola, Midland and Midvale)
|
Mix of training and work experience (within an urban Indigenous community and a social enterprise business). The initiative targets two groups with a history of local tension with the expectation that, by working and learning together, a positive flow-on effect will occur within the community. |
Young people from Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. |
|
Colony 47 Inc (Glenorchy, New Norfolk, Huonville and Sorell)
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Improving employment skills through youth driven projects that contribute to the local community – developing skills while changing community and employer perceptions of young people.
|
Disadvantaged young people. |
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Big hART Incorporated (Northwest TAS)
|
Using art, digital technologies and performance platforms to increase employability and community connections for young people in rural areas and young women living with family violence.
|
Young people in disadvantaged communities particularly young women.
|
|
Organisation |
Assistance |
Participants |
|
Great Southern Employment Development Committee (Albany and Katanning) |
Utilising social enterprises and intensive development programmes to change employment expectations of young people in regional centres. That is, moving from low-paid, low-skilled occupations through to valued and sustainable employment (for example, interpreters and translators within the community). |
Young people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. |
|
Brain Injury SA (Adelaide) |
An intensive 10 week programme to assist young people with acquired brain injury with strategies and practices to overcome related issues and to plan for and develop achievable employment goals. Support includes mentors who are also living and working with the same injuries. |
Young people identified or diagnosed with brain injuries. |
|
Eyre Futures (Eyre Peninsula including Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Ceduna)
|
Cultural on Country retreats with Aboriginal leaders to develop cultural identity, self-confidence, pride and self-reliance for disengaged youth and builds upon traditional work experience specific to the needs of remote young people. |
Young Indigenous people, |
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Northern Joblink Limited (Palmerston NT)
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An early intervention, three-stage approach (coaching/mentoring, project based learning and post placement support) to attain life-long working skills and knowledge. This includes connecting with communities and local industries to build resilience and confidence. |
15-19 year olds who have disengaged from school within the previous 13 weeks.
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