[Sub ID 4747] Entrepreneurial skills training for young students (Vibewire Youth Services Inc)

Submission ID: 4747
Organisation name: Vibewire Youth Services Inc
Contact name: Mr Gavin Heaton
State: NSW
Contact email: gavin.heaton@vibewireboard.com

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

What need or issue are you trying to address?
Since 2000, Vibewire has been working with young people to help them build the skills, confidence, capability for the changing world of work.

The Foundation for Young Australians “New Work Order” 2015 report found that:

  • Entry level roles for young people are disappearing.
  • 60% of students are being trained in jobs that will be made redundant by automation.
  • The gap between study and professional work is 4.7 years (increase from 1.8)

The latest report “New Work Order” 2016 Report finds that:

  • We need to shift our focus from jobs to skills that are portable and in demand in the new economy to prepare young people for the future of work.
  • Not all jobs require the acquisition of an entirely new skill set, instead, the skill sets of many jobs are ‘portable’ to other jobs in the same ‘job cluster’. On average, when an individual trains or works in 1 job, they acquire skills for 13 other jobs.
  • Young people will take less linear careers and rather need a portfolio of skills and capabilities to open doors to a ‘cluster of jobs’.

What is your idea?
The Vibewire 2030 Jungle Gym is a skills building gym designed to prepare young people for the future of work. It’s a place, platform and framework for young people to build muscle in enterprise, creative and technology skills, and move them into the “New Work Mindset” required for the future.

The framework consists of the following skill building programs:

  1. Soapbox club – pitching, presenting, storytelling
  2. Dollar Dollar Bill – financial literacy, critical thinking, problem solving
  3. Startup Sundays – Matching young people with industry mentors for hands on mentoring supercharging their confidence in launching and growing enterprises
  4. Hack-a-thing – A hackathon program with “mini-briefs” requiring response to real world challenges with real world, viable solutions