[Sub ID 4584] Employment Mentoring Program (St Francis Social Services (SFSS))

Submission ID: 4584
Organisation name: St Francis Social Services (SFSS)
Contact name: Mrs Lyn Harrison
State: NSW
Contact email: l.harrison@stfrancis.org.au
Contact number: 0293312691

Which priority group of the Try, Test and Learn Fund does your idea support?
Young carers, Young parents, Young students at risk of long-term unemployment

What need or issue are you trying to address?
Greenlight Movement (GLM) Learner Driver Mentor Program assists young people to gain 120 hours of supervised driving require for a provisional licence – supported weekly by a Mentor in a supplied car, alongside professional case management. GLM supports disadvantaged young people from all 3 identified priority groups.

GLM identified that of current participants:
– 98% identified a licence would assist in gaining employment or access to education/training
– 70% identify Mental Health Concerns
– 45% identified previous Juvenile Justice System involvement or AOD Concerns
– 30% identified being a young parent or young carer
– 87% experienced homelessness

GLM supports young people to not only gain their licence, (increasing employment opportunities) but via the mentoring relationship established, participants identified an increased sense of community belonging & development of essential attributes for the workplace (time management, responsibility, improved wellbeing & self-esteem).

Current employment models fail to meet individual needs of disadvantaged young people; particularly Mental Health, family breakdown, homelessness, social support etc.

There is an identified need to expand GLM into employment; ensuring access to a licence and individual wrap-around support & mentoring to gain: job readiness skills, accredited qualifications, work experience & mentorship.

What is your idea?
Expansion of the existing Greenlight Movement Learn to Drive Mentor Program Model into an Employment Mentoring Program.

Our model is place-based, drawing on the local community resources & adapting to community & individual needs to ensure a replicable model across locations (evident from our existing GLM programs located across multiple metropolitan & regional areas).

GLM participants demonstrate personal motivation & commitment to our program & their future employment prosperities by: engaging in the 12month long program, financially contributing 8% of their income towards driving lessons & working with both mentors & case workers towards identified goals. Utilising this personal commitment & motivation for employment, Greenlight Movement will offer an employment program spanning across 20 weeks of the 12month driving program, ensuring an individual approach & ongoing mentoring & case management is provided throughout.

The model will see Caseworkers & Employment Coordinators working collaboratively with work-mentors & GLM Driving Mentors, in local communities & engaging local businesses to ensure that young people’s individual needs are met & that they have access to:

– A licence
– Pre-Employment Support (e.g. team work, emotional regulation, Resume & interview skills, job search skills, dressing for success, literacy/numeracy, conflict resolution, employment soft skills)
– Short Courses & Certificates (e.g. RSA, Safe Food Handling, WHS, Barista & Business – customer engagement, Cultural Diversity, Excel)
– Work Experience & Work Mentoring (e.g. local Business engagement; supported by a GLM employment Coordinator)
– Work Placement Support (e.g. Support to find employment & ongoing support & mentoring to assist young people to navigate the workforce
– Mentoring – The mentoring relationship extends beyond learning to drive & employment with the positive support from the mentor enabling the young person to talk through, work-on & overcome many other barriers caused by disadvantage.