[Sub ID 4351] Young parent work and learning centre (Gippsland Employment Skills Training Inc)

Submission ID: 4351
Organisation name: Gippsland Employment Skills Training Inc (GEST)
Contact name: Ms Rhonda Elizabeth Crooks
State: VIC
Contact email: Rhonda@gest.com.au
Contact number: 0351274544

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

What need or issue are you trying to address?
Many young parents are overwhelmed and feel isolated in trying to meet their participation requirements. Building trust, confidence and mutual respect with young parents is paramount to their engagement and progress towards their capacity to work.

Young parents need to know that they are not on their own. GEST’s focus is young parents across two Local Government Areas (LGAs), Baw Baw and Latrobe. Both LGAs have a high level of parental welfare recipients most likely to be affected by the closure of the Hazelwood power station in terms of the ripple effect in an already depleted job market, the predicted additional rise in electricity costs and the removal of the School Kids Bonus Scheme (SKBS).

What is your idea?
GEST’s idea is to form a supportive partnership model between the young parent, a skilled Pathway Advisor and a mentor. Importantly, the mentor will have previously and successfully worked through their own barriers to work as a young single parent.

The partnership will be owned by the young parent, Pathway Advisor and the mentor. The partnership will customize a step by step Parent Pathway Plan (PPP) designed to identify the parents’ barriers to work. The plan will include the partnership’s agreed steps to be put in place to enable the parent to develop skills to either manage or resolve their barriers to employment.

The partnership will have access to all the resources in the Parent Pathway Hub. The hub will be welcoming, non judgmental, supportive and focussed.

The mentor will provide resilience training, career guidance and practical assistance in relation to childcare, job search, resumes, cover letters, preparing the parent for interview (work preparedness).

Other specialised support services outside of the hub will be sourced and coordinated by the Pathway Advisor as a triage service. The services will include but not limited to language & literacy, housing, time and budget management, mental health, drug and alcohol, loans, car licenses etc.