No. 3. September 2002
NEWSLETTER
Macarthur Youth Commitment Newsletter No. 3 September 2002.Page 1 of 2
This newsletter is to inform everyone about what has been happing with MYC.
MYC is a network of many organisations in this region that support young people as they leave school and move on to work or other training.
STRATEGIC PURPOSE
The key goals of the MYC are to provide support 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 MYC will achieve the above by:
- Positioning itself as an umbrella organisation which draws together the skills and support of a wide network of organisations;
- Providing a safety net for youth ‘at risk’ of early school leaving;
- Providing a one-stop shop for young people and their supporters as they negotiate the transition from school to work.
VISION
To enhance the skills and opportunities of all young people in Macarthur to be active, independent citizens who are competitive in the labour market over the course of a lifetime.
MISSION
To support students in the transition from school to work and to expand learning, training and work opportunities thorough shared community responsibility for the outcomes and destinations of all young people.
A two page ‘Statement of Strategic Intent’ gives overall aims and measures, and these are expanded in the strategic working plans 2002-2005 that give strategies, measures, timeframes etc.
PROGRESS THROUGHOUT 2002
Activities seem to be accelerating with many different things happening over the course of this year.
- Jan/Feb – Survey of Macarthur Employer’s attitudes to employing young people.
- Feb – Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding.
- Term 1 & 2 – Student Passports used in more than 18 schools across the region. Evaluation of passports over terms 1 & 2 with revision during term 3 for release in term 4.
- Term 2 – Youth Participation Protocol written and adopted.
- Term 1 & 2 – Mentoring course run by TAFE Outreach
- May/June – Centrelink Transition Broker pilot in Airds HS, Campbelltown PAHS and Thomas Reddall HS produces positive outcomes.
- June – “Jobs For Young People” brochure collated with national and local information on youth employment trends and distributed to schools.
- Terms 2 – 4 – Trial of an exit form document in 6 schools to provide common exit procedures and data collection strategy.
- Term 3 – Survey of schools to get a staff estimate of numbers of students ‘at risk’ of early school leaving.
- Term 3 – Start of Plan-it Youth mentoring program at Picton HS, continuation of Job Mates Mentoring at Ambarvale HS, Eagle Vale HS and Picton HS.
- May/August – MYC promotional brochure developed, distributed in September.
- August/September – major submission for Sustaining Regions funding
- Sept 12 – Spirit of Cooperation Agreement Forum for stakeholders.
- Oct 29 – School to Work Workshop planned to map existing services assisting young people to access education, training and jobs, and help show gaps and needs. For service providers, schools, Job network, employers, govt agencies etc. – Tony Powers facilitating. Contact Peter for more information.
SPIRIT OF COOPERATION AGREEMENT FORUM – 12th September 2002.
An information forum is planned for Sept. 12 at TAFE to update stakeholders on MYC progress, and to encourage support for the Spirit of Cooperation Agreement. We need to formalise relationships between the supporting organisations that make up MYC, and so will be explaining the strategic plans and enlisting support through this Spirit of Cooperation Agreement.
COORDINATOR
Interim coordinator Peter Raymond has continued in the role and is working to develop the network meetings and strategies, with funding applications taking up a significant amount of time. Thanks to Campbelltown TAFE for their wonderful ‘in kind’ support of office space and equipment. Being based near the Training Coordination Unit, Welfare Dept, Outreach, TVET, Prevocation and Macarthur Workplace Learning Program staff has enabled many useful networking opportunities.
UPDATE ON ACTIVITES
The Exit procedures working group is revising the 2001 ‘Student Passport’ document after extensive feedback and evaluation. This included schools, job network providers, Links to Learning staff and students, Jobs Pathways Program, TAFE staff and youth service providers giving comments and suggestions. The new version of the “School to Employment Passport” will include some additional information and resources for young people. Some students will be helping make this look more attractive to young people, and the resource will be made available to all schools, job network agencies and youth centres in 4th term 2002.
This Exit procedures and Data management group has also refined a student exit document that is being trialled with one CEO school and 5 DET schools.
A database for the information has been developed and it is hoped that this exit form will be refined for wider use in 2003.
Thanks to Centrelink, who provided short term funding to several youth commitment regions for pilots of support strategies for early school leavers, we were able to implement a Transition Broker pilot. With the support of Campbelltown PAHS, Airds HS and Thomas Reddall HS staff, at very short notice Greg Allott was able to take on this role. Thanks also to Campbelltown Youth Services for releasing Greg for this time. Greg was able to achieve some very positive outcomes in the short time frame, with the students responding well to his involvement in the schools as a Centrelink youth worker. Discussions with Centrelink are continuing about possible longer term funding to further explore this model.
Other funding has been applied for to implement transition brokers in 2003.
Mentoring strategies for coordinating mentors to help support ‘at risk’ students are developing. The DET Plan-it Youth coordinator Chris Harvey has been working to recruit mentors and to match the mentors and students at Picton High School. The Job Mates mentoring program is working well with indigenous student groups at Ambarvale HS, Eagle Vale HS and Picton HS. Another course for mentors will be provided by TAFE outreach soon, to add to those already trained for mentoring with students.
The youth participation group has been developing aspects of the MYC strategic plan and working plans that deal with youth participation, consultation and empowering young people, and have developed a youth participation protocol to guide MYC.
The data managementis discussing how to collect the information needed, and has developed several pilots. Discussions with Centrelink and other youth Commitment areas about data collection issues show the complexities of these issues.
The publicity working grouphave been the catalyst for the development of a MYC promotional brochure and some other promotional strategies. These brochures are available to be used by any stakeholder or to display to help promote MYC.
Please contact Peter for copies.
FUNDING ISSUES
Thanks to generous support from stakeholders including Campbelltown Council, Camden Council, Wollondilly Shire Council, Campbelltown Youth Services Inc (DoCS) , NSW Department of Housing, Robert Townson High School, John Therry High School, NSW Department of Education and Training, and Premiers Department the coordinator’s position has been funded since April this year.
Major funding from Sustainable Regions (DOTARS) has been applied for to implement strategies for 3 years.
We will be applying to ECEF for more funding in the near future, and other funding options are being investigated.
Management Committee members
Chair- Denise McGrath
MYC Coordinator - Peter Raymond
Premiers Dept.- Maria Visotina
Education (DET)- Greg Prior
Young person- Greg Allott
Centrelink- Darryl New
UWS (ORD)- Kim Leevers
Macarthur Community Forum - Cheryl Eather
TAFE- Cathie Gerloff
Community Links- Kevin Garrick
Youth Participation- Mark Berriman/Tina Britton
Dusseldorp Skills Forum- Lesley Tobin
Management Committee meets 1st Thursday of each month in 2002.
Contact Details
Macarthur Youth Commitment Coordinator
Peter Raymond
C/- Training Co-ordination Unit Campbelltown TAFE
PO Box 599 Campbelltown NSW 2560
Room K. 1.26 Campbelltown TAFE
Ph: 4620 1709Fax: 4620 1865
Email:
Web:
Macarthur Youth Commitment Newsletter No. 3 September 2002.Page 1 of 2