[Sub ID 4456] Student centre of excellence and referral service (UnitingCare Werribee Support and Housing)

Submission ID: 4456
Organisation name: UnitingCare Werribee Support and Housing
Contact name: Ms Carol Muir
State: VIC
Contact email: carol.muir@wsh.org.au
Contact number: 0397426452

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

What need or issue are you trying to address?
We are aiming to address the priority group’s disengagement from formal learning due to the impacts of trauma, disadvantage or family circumstance, which is a precipitating factor linked to long-term poverty, unemployment and challenges in participating in the community in a healthy attuned way. Our idea aims to implement a number of strategies which may break the cycle of poverty that will enhance self-development and sustainability by:

• Building social connectedness
• Providing new skills and preparing for employment
• Building social connections and links into the community
• Increasing self-esteem and confidence
• Linking into networks
• Developing employment opportunities
• Identify high local employment areas of need and explore training opportunities to meet these needs with the priority groups.

What is your idea?
To develop a “Student Unit Centre of Excellence”.

We would like to further develop our student unit model that we have been piloting and providing for the past three years. Our idea is to develop a Student Unit Centre of Excellence to support student placements and volunteers who fall into the priority groups to achieve the skills and knowledge to successfully complete their placement and prepares them to be job ready.

Funding would be required to employ a Coordinator and case management/trainers, childcare for young parents and the hire of a training facility and relevant equipment.

Existing partner universities and employment solution providers i.e. G Force will refer young people to our Agency from the above priority groups who are looking for a student placement.

Young People will also be referred from Agency programs as well as external organisations such as Centrelink, local secondary schools, other youth and family support agencies etc.,.

Partnerships: Utilise our existing partnerships to support the learning and development of the target group through offering casual employment or networking opportunities with local businesses. This could include groups such as Rotary, Apex, Lions who could use their business networks as well as our recreational and business Partnerships i.e. Werribee Tigers, Myer – Pacific Werribee, Vic Relief Food Bank. Explore employment pathways into Uniting Vic & Tas Ltd., an Agency that employs 3,500 staff and 3,500 volunteers.

Students will be supported:

• To attend personal development programs that will enhance their self-esteem, build confidence, and build responsible and respectful relationships in a flexible supportive learning environment with their peers.
• to learn new life and work skills such as safe food handling, retail work, independent living skills, resume’ writing, applying for jobs, how to present at interviews etc.,

Collaborate with existing Uniting RTO’s to develop and deliver other training opportunities for the target group such as Certificate III in Community Services.