[Sub ID 4431] Collective impact model to get young students on track (Policy Hack Table 2)

Submission ID: 4431
Organisation name: Policy Hack Idea Table 2 (Students)

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?
This proposal is targeted at a small cohort of young people on study payments who drop out or are at risk of dropping out of post-secondary education into unemployment with no pathway or intervention.

There is traditionally no way to identify early which young students are at risk of dropping out of their studies.

These young students lack:
1. A view of their pathway to employment and the intentionality to follow that path via their present education or training
2. Positive family and peer role models and motivators
3. Adequate support to overcome non-educational barriers – such as psychosocial, health and housing-related barriers – to engaging in education and employment.
A lack of coordination in the services system results in this combination of factors not being holistically addressed.

The aim of this proposal is to reduce the uptake of welfare support by:
1. Reducing the number of young people on study payments who are at risk of dropping out of education, increasing the rate of study completions, and ultimately increasing the number of transitions into employment
2. Where completing an existing education or training program is not preferable, supporting a quick transition into employment.

What is your idea?
‘Where Are You Headed?’ (WAYH) brings together services, supports, employers and education providers via a Collective Impact model, with a central navigator service. Providing early identification and proactive engagement with students at risk of dropping out will increase study retention, completion and employment.

The WAYH Collective Impact model includes:
• identifying or creating an independent non-profit backbone organisation that will build collaboration across sectors and co-ordinate service provision
• selecting several regional or provincial locations with suitable education and training providers and target employers, to be engaged through a targeted marketing campaign.
• designing and implementing an early diagnostic tool for referral/selection through:
o survey of young students’ intentions (tied to their study payment)
o using change of course load (reported to tertiary institutions and Centrelink) as a trigger to intervene
o Centrelink data
• proactively engaging to implement a tailored plan to :
o provide a clear, intentional pathway through study to employment (via a career plan and work trials)
o provide positive role models and motivators (via coaching and targeted support networks)
o provide navigation and guided access to appropriate non-educational support services (e.g. housing, health).
• for students who will not complete study, facilitated transition into employment with a pool of employers.