[Sub ID 4463] Tailored package of assistance and services for young people (Judith, ACT)

Submission ID: 4463
Contact name: Judith
State: ACT

Which priority group of the Try, Test and Learn Fund does your idea support?
Young carers, Young parents

What need or issue are you trying to address?
Young carers facing a barrier to employment opportunities as their caring responsibilities greatly limit their ability to (a) participate in study to gain Year 12 and/or suitable tertiary or vocational skills and (b) to actually be available to work the hours generally required by employers. Young carers are also only allowed to work 25 hours a week before losing their income support payment.

The above issues would be broadly applicable also to young parents except for the comment re the carer payment.

This is based on my general knowledge not first-hand observation..

What is your idea?
Many retired people are keen and willing to volunteer their skills but do not have a pre-conceived idea as to what contribution to make to the community. A given community (e.g. with a decent-sized sample of a priority group such as young carers) could be assisted to draw up a volunteering plan for this priority group. This would cover a variety of skills such as teaching/tutoring in maths, English and other subjects; tradesman-type skills; nursing/caring; even admin/project planning for the work required to match a young carer with the assistance being offered. The broad idea is to create a ‘package’ for the young carer, tailored to their needs. For example this might be a couple of hours per week of maths and English tuition, a couple of hours of respite care. The goal would be for the young carer to be able to sit the HSC or equivalent, even if it took a lot longer than the normal time frame. Or for the vocationally-minded, to gain skills that could lead to part-time employment in a relevant industry.