An overviewAn overviewSupporting students in their transition from school to work.

Presentation overviewPresentation overview

• Background influences• MYC development• MYC strategies and programs• Transition Broker program• Question time• Evaluation of MYC• Question time

Macarthur RegionMacarthur Region• Macarthur is the LGA’s of Campbelltown,

Camden & Wollondilly in South West Sydney.• 235, 000 people, area of 3,067 square km.• 5 public housing estates in Campbelltown• Macarthur's population is significantly younger than for NSW or

Australia (93,802 under 25 - 42%). (2001 census) • 34.6% under 20, {27.7% for NSW; 27.9% for Australia}.

• Highest level of schooling completed among Macarthur youth, and the Macarthur population overall, was on average significantly below the figures for NSW and Australia.

• Macarthur's young people are significantly less likely to be attending university, slightly more likely to be attending TAFE and substantially more likely to be not attending any educational institution than for NSW or Australia.

• 17 govt. High schools, 10 non govt HS and 9 special needs schools with over 20 000 secondary students in Macarthur

Macarthur’s young peopleMacarthur’s young peopleA young person from Macarthur as

compared to Australia is more likely to:1. Come from a larger family or single parent family with a significant

probability of being culturally or linguistically diverse2. Have lower household taxable income3. More than twice as likely to come from public housing than the other young

people in NSW4. Less likely to complete high school5. Have parent/s that have lower formal education or training qualifications6. Less likely to obtain employment7. If they do obtain employment have fewer options on types of employment

and have almost a 50% chance of working outside the area8. Less likely to attend university or obtain formal education or vocational

qualifications9. Less access to efficient public transport10.About 25% chance of receiving some form of Centrelink support with the

likelihood of a breach being higher than almost any area in Australia

Background influencesBackground influences

• Education framework• National & state agendas• Late 1980s,90s – national curricula

agenda – development of VET• Many schools in Campbelltown moved

from theoretical to more practical vocational education

• Impact of Full Service Schools Program

What did we learn from FSSP?What did we learn from FSSP?• Disengaging Youth• Effective Teachers/effective

schools – measured by?• The importance of

- School culture- School curriculum

• School & the school fence• The school & its community• School to Work transition• Multi campus education• FSSP to MYC

Background influencesBackground influences

• FSSP – showed need & value of improved community partnerships

• DSF came to Macarthur 2000, steering committee established for MYC.

• MYC as a change agent• Visit to Whittlesea YC in 2001• UWS - environmental scan – to show

service gaps, impact strategic thinking.

National Youth CommitmentNational Youth CommitmentThe key goals of the National Youth Commitment are to provide guaranteed access for all young people, with particular support for early school leavers or those facing other disadvantages, to:

• Complete Year 12 either at school or another recognised provider; or

• Obtain an education or training qualification that is at an equivalent level such as a TAFE certificate or apprenticeship; or

• Obtain a full-time job that is linked to education or training.

The National Youth Commitment model proposed by the Dusseldorp Skills Forum (DSF) and the Enterprise and Career

Education Foundation (ECEF) has been piloted in several regionallocations across Australia (including Macarthur.)

Mission StatementMission Statement

To support students at all stages of their transition from

school to work and to expand learning, training and work

opportunities through shared community responsibility for the outcomes and destinations of all

young people.

PrinciplesPrinciples• Established as a strategic community partnership

approach – whole of government and whole of community to develop strategic responses to youth transition issues

• Providing assistance with the transition between school and further training or employment

• Improved partnerships and collaboration between local agencies to support young people

• Improved links between employers and young people.• Continuously measuring the progress made towards

meeting the needs of all young people in the region.

Development historyDevelopment history

• Built on networks in community, FSSP networks, MYC steering committee commenced early 2001 with support from Dusseldorp Skills Forum and the Education and Career Education Foundation (ECEF)

• Environmental scan of region (UWS) July 2001, • revised 2003/4.

• Public forum launch –• 8th August 2001

• Spirit of Cooperation forum• 12 Sept 2002

• Management committee and 7 working groups established and developing strategies and pilots (2001-3)

• Strategic Plan developed in 2002, revised 2003, 2004, 2005

• Funding from local community in 2002 + ECEF/DEST support.

• Became an incorporated association March 03 to receive funding

• Funding launch May 03• Funding from Sustainable Regions received June 03• Partnership with Centrelink for Transition • Broker project Aug 03• Research officer started Jan 04.• Various forums & passport launches

Strategic partnershipsStrategic partnerships

• MYC-Centrelink• MYC- TAFE• MYC-UWS

(Commendation in 2004 UWS Regional Partnership Awards)

• Macarthur Apprenticeship Recruitment strategy (On steering committee of MARS (AIG, MGC, SWSI of TAFE partnership)

• Live N Learn Foundation – youth accommodation -education campus, Breakthrough youth employment mentoring

• GROW Employment council (Sydney’s ACC)• Schools– resources, transition brokers,

events

PartnersPartners• Funded by Dotars (Sustainable Regions) & DEST; (SWSI of TAFE, Council in

kind)

• NSW Premiers Department, Office of the Minister for Western Sydney, Macarthur Regional Organisations of Councils (MACROC), Campbelltown, Camden & Wollondilly Councils, Centrelink,

• Department of Education & Training (Regional Office & Schools), TAFE, University of Western Sydney, non-Government High Schools, Catholic Education Office (Wollongong)

• Macarthur Community Forum, Campbelltown Youth Services, Mission Australia, Uniting Care Burnside, Macarthur Diversity Services, Traxside Youth Service, The Benevolent Society, Macarthur Disability Service, Campbelltown Family Support Service, St Vincent de Paul Society, Youth Solutions, Wollondilly Community Development Committee, PCYC, Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation

• GROW, Australian Industry Group, Austool, Macbec, Macarthur Group Companies, Macarthur Workplace Learning Program, Australian Training Company, YWCA Job Futures, Wesley Uniting Employment, M.A. Employment Initiatives, CRS Australia, H& H Accredited Training, Nova Employment, Work Ventures and many others.

Working groups Working groups Working groups enabled many different people

to contribute to MYC• Transition Brokers• Mentoring• Youth Participation • Employer Links • Data Management• Exit documents & Student Passport• Marketing

Networks & impactNetworks & impact• MYC Consultative Network – includes

representatives from local youth services and job network services, schools, councils, DET, DOCS, NSW Premiers Dept, DEST, FACS, DEWR, GROW etc.

• MYC research used by councils in social plans, MYC included in social and youth strategic plans of councils

• MYC invited to be on strategic youth review and planning committees, GROW Macarthur committee, MYSN, macyack youth website

Strategies & achievementsStrategies & achievements

Mentoring • Support mentoring programs

through regular network meetings• Resources for mentors• DET Plan-it Youth • Breakthrough Employment

Mentoring

Student ResourcesMacarthur Training & Employment Passport.2500 distributed in 2003, 7000 in 2004; 8500 in 2005/6 - very positive response from schools, youth services, job networks etc

Research & data collection• Environmental Scan

(2001, March 2004) • Employer survey (May 2004)

Careers Bulletins (2004)•Industry Skills Audit 2005/6 - DEWR• Macarthur Youth Services Directory & youth info card• Youth aspirations survey 2005

industry audit and skills mappingNetworking, Forumsand info share

• Consultative network• School to Work forum• UWS participation forum• Macarthur Youth Summit• Parent info events (NESB)• Newsletters and careers

bulletins • Email group of 250 members

MYC & Sarah Redfern MYC & Sarah Redfern • Cultural change – school in

crisis• Student welfare to student

support- year support teams- community agencies

• School to Work program• School to Work team

- Transition broker- Careers adviser- Pathways mentor

• Curriculum variations /traineeships

• Voc ed scope• Stage 5 Voc ed courses

• HYPE• Community support programs

Breakfast & lunch clubs

P&C canteenStudy centreRugby in the ParkMusic (ACMP)Garden of Healing

Case Study Case Study -- JohnJohn• Indigenous, 15 yrs• Housing

commission home• Poor attendance,

participation & behaviour issues

• Expelled from school

Expected outcome…

Unemployment or low skilled work,

Limited further training

Possible police or Juvenile Justice issues

Transition broker intervention…• Explored options with other schools – no openings• Helped with changeover of Centrelink payments and

those paperwork issues that confuse young people.• TAFE options were explored and he was placed into

a metals trades start course – when TB contacted teacher he said John doing well.

• Unfortunately John had health problems that meant he missed the last few weeks of the course so didn’t graduate and couldn’t articulate to a traineeship

• John & the TB explored other options and managed to get him a job at Streets Icecreams. When the TB rang him up a few weeks later to see how he was going and wondering if he was interested in apprenticeship options, John said he was very happy, earning $1400/fortnight including overtime.

Transition Broker ProjectTransition Broker Project

31% of these students havebeen supported to continue at school.The students who have left school (69%),

227 have been assisted into F/T work,Additional 187 intoapprenticeships/traineeships 68 students into P/T employment, 302 into F/T or P/T training at TAFE.

4.5 transition brokers work in 14 schools, since October 2003, they have been successful in supporting over 1200

students.

TB Project impactsTB Project impacts• Value for individual students assisted• Impact on classrooms and school learning outcomes• Showcase of program to Centrelink CEO, snr

management, DEWR, DEST, FACSIA etc.• Model copied and adapted in SA

QuestionsQuestions

KellockKellock report key findingsreport key findingsPeter Kellock ‘The Asquith Group’ evaluation report on

the 6 YCs “Local investment. National returns.” 2005

• strategic approach of YC supported by report findings • intensive support for early leavers is effective -

outcomes improved by 10%+ in YC regions• independent advice more valid, timing of this support to

early leavers is critical• different role required to assist kids at risk of early

leaving• patience required in community partnerships – long

term strategy• Need for integration of support across various levels of

government

KellockKellock report highlightsreport highlights

Implications for Government• Greater clarity is needed in relation to what

governments are actually supporting or mandating.• Government needs to explore ways of integrating

transition support services (despite countering forces provided by competitive tendering processes).

• Partnerships require cross-agency support to gather and share resources, data and to document best-practice.

MYC influencesMYC influences• Passport – impacted DET School to Work

logbook• Plan-it Youth – taken up by DET as program• TB – impacted whole school approach to

transitions, DET Pathways mentors• NYCs influenced DEST LCP model• Corporate responsibility• DSF role as advocates, use MYC info –

impact on Federal policies• Research impacted council social plans etc.

Community impactsCommunity impacts

• Cycle of community development• DEST ANICA/LCP tendering process

caused fractures in community – need healing

• Disappointment expressed by schools when effective programs aren’t refunded

The future?The future?

• Curriculum considerations• Support agencies – assessment of

quality and impact of programs, coordination of NGO & GO operations

• Coordination of services – are we on the same circle?

• Funding shortfalls vs real need – YP, LCP etc

SummarySummary• MYC is a community partnership, an

‘umbrella’ organisation involving the whole community

• MYC seeks to develop a ‘safety net’ for all young people, especially early school leavers

• MYC’s strategies effective as agencies work together in partnerships to mutually beneficial goals

• Strategic community partnerships are a long term strategy and require long term funding from Govts.

• Need coordination, research, networking role to maintain the efficiency of service programs

QuestionsQuestions

Contact detailsContact detailsPeter RaymondCoordinator

Ph: 4620 1709 Fax: 4620 1865 Email: peter.raymond@tafensw.edu.auMail:Macarthur Youth Commitment C/- Campbelltown TAFEPO Box 599 Campbelltown NSW 2560