[Sub ID 4296] Place-based mentoring support (yourtown)

Submission ID: 4296
Organisation name: yourtown
Contact name: Mr Brendan Bourke
State: QLD
Contact email: bbourke@yourtown.com.au
Contact number: 0738671310

Summary:
yourtown proposes a coordinated, scalable, place-based volunteer mentor program that matches participants with a suitable mentor, as part of a targeted approach to assist young people to improve their workforce participation or capacity to work. This includes young parents, young carers and young students at risk of long-term unemployment.

The program would seek to complement existing government funded services by adding value to limited program resources and/or providing more intensive support, depending on the individual needs of the young person.

The program would be supported by a coordination team, with mentors sourced through the local community, corporate partners, employers and industry associations.

Mentors’ primary objective would be to assist young people on a one-to-one basis to address key barriers to workforce participation and sustain employment (or education outcomes). Focus would be given to identified barriers that existing government services may not have the scope or capacity to address.