yourtown: Building Careers for Young People at the Margins

This year, yourtown is celebrating 25 years of its “Social Enterprises” program. Based in areas of disadvantage, such as Logan and Western Sydney, young people without employment are trained on the job in a variety of industries. This approach helps trainees move on to further employment and training, while also, often find more satisfying personal and social change in their lives. The large social welfare organisation of yourtown, based in Brisbane, runs Kids Helpline and numerous other youth and family programs, was founded by the De La Salle Brothers, and has Lasallian principles at its core.

Clientele

The participants are young people aged 16-24, who are often experiencing disadvantage, disengagement or disability. Regularly, many come from families on long-term state welfare; the vast majority have left school prior to Year 12, and up to one-half had left school prior to completing Year 10. Some young people also have experience of offending and substance abuse; many live in single-parent families. Most have never had a full-time job.

Currently, there are 110 young people in the program over Australia, which hires around 250 young people in a year.

The Program

Sarai Tuuga, National Social Enterprises Manager, explains that an entry profile is important, so that individual needs are addressed. The program follows a person-centred method: personal and social growth with new skills and attitudes are pursued, with a key goal of training towards stable employment. Paid employment, via traineeships, provides a supportive environment as a transition into the mainstream workforce.

The traineeships are much-needed jobs in the community, and works are competitively-awarded projects funded by Government agencies. Over the years, Social Enterprises has supported countless community projects and organisations, from flood recovery to restoring the Beenleigh Historical Village, construction of social housing and South Australia Church pews, events with the National Youth Employment Body, and graffiti removal and mature tree planting in Western Sydney.

The 25th anniversary event of the Program said:

“We’ve done everything from bike repairs to construction, horticulture, digital marketing, and events management. These opportunities are a great starting step for young people. With the help of our trainers, youth workers, and job placement coaches, we're proud to transition a minimum of 75% of SQW trainees onto further employment”.

Skilling Queenslanders for Work (SQW) paid traineeships, funded by the Department of Trade, Employment, and Training, has been a feeder program to the social enterprises for decades.

The History: Beginnings in Kingston, QLD

In the late 1990s, experimenting began with an aromatherapy garden, and production of birthday boxes at 1 Mary Street, Kingston. The team then established a second-hand store that repaired furniture at Browns Plains, called “Morgans Place.”

An old indoor cricket centre at 47 Mary Street – still the current centre - was acquired. It became “BoysTown Enterprise and Training Service.”  By January 2000, the Service partnered with Qld Department of Housing and Q Build, when the first social housing fence was constructed.

“We’re still building fences to this day! And have expanded to grounds maintenance, too. Qld Department of Housing with Q Build is our longest-standing customer and has supported over 1,500 jobs during this time”.

Expanding the Reach- in Four Australian states

In 2004, there was expansion to Port Pirie in South Australia, establishing services in a de-commissioned Primary School called “Fatima”. Soon after, thanks to the Catholic Archdiocese, the team launched a cabinet-making workshop called “Bowdens,” which became our Social Enterprises centre.

The following year, with financial help and an invitation from the Federal Government, the agency opened a social enterprise in the Parks region in Adelaide. It soon moved to the more disadvantaged Playford area, securing its own premises at Smithfield, and collaborating with key partners such as TAFE, Renewal SA, and Lot 14.

In 2006, Social Enterprises expanded to Western Sydney. It rolled out grounds’ maintenance
services with large customers like Ventia, and provided tailored programs, such as Indigenous Traineeships with NSW Housing, and Women-to-Work pre-employment services.

In Tasmania, the Service partnered with Loreto Community Housing and Homes Tasmania in 2016. Soon, there were five locations, and the winning of the Large-Scale Social Enterprise Award with Social Traders.

Benefits for Young People

yourtown entered into a five-year evaluation conducted with Griffith University (and funded by the Australian Research Council) in 2012. It found that 73% of Enterprises’ employees obtained a job or vocational training place immediately after exiting the agency, and 89% were successful in retaining this employment. The success rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees were even higher.

As the 25 Year report says: “For these young people, work was not just an outcome - it was part of a life-changing process.”

Current figures indicate that 78% of Enterprises’ employees transition into mainstream employment and 6% transition into further education and training.

The rewards built into the Enterprises program are many. The university study showed a renewed sense of well-being, and more positive self-esteem.

• Participants acquire self-confidence, and improved their outlook, while decreasing their dependence on drugs and alcohol, and their involvement in anti-social and criminal activities.
• Planning, cooperation and communication skills are enhanced as they train and work.
• Appraisal of one’s job happens on the job.

Sarai can state: “Creativity and careful structural change mean that Social Enterprises have seen successful employment of over 4,000 young people to date, providing approximately 7.5 million hours of on-the-job training with an 84% success rate!”

The Future

How to reach a goal of 10,000 young people employed at yourtown Social Enterprises by 2050? Ongoing, long-term fee-for-service contracts in trades and business services will help yourtown Social Enterprises solidify more jobs for young people in need of a chance. A hopeful increase in Corporates’ policies of social responsibility over time will mean larger corporations prioritise social impact opportunities to help our financial sustainability.

Visit https://www.yourtown.com.au/our-services/social-enterprises

Source: Br Gary Wilson