- The Australian Government is investing $14.8 million in the Youth Connections program in Queensland in 2011.
- 16 NGOs in Queensland – Youth Connections.
- The Queensland Government is investing $13.6 million in the Youth Support Coordinator Initiative in 2011.
- 39 NGOs – Youth Support Co-ordinator Initiatives.
- There are over 300,000 14-18 year olds in Queensland.
- Youth Attainment and Transitions National Partnership - Year 12 or equivalent attainment target of 89.25% for 2012.
COMMITMENT
The Queensland and Australian Governments have a united commitment to the young people of this state. A key element of this commitment is to increase the educational engagement and attainment of young people and support successful transitions to further education, training or employment in order to positively impact on their future success.
Both the QueenslandYouth Support Coordinator Initiative and the Australian Youth Connections program are available to young people who are at risk of disengaging, or already disengaged, from education.
FUNDING
To support these initiatives, a total of $28.4 million has been committed in 2010-2011. With this level of government investment, it is vital that these services are used strategically.
RELATIONSHIP
The intent of the two programs has always been to complement each other and the improvements being made to the Youth Support Coordinator Initiativeenhance the mechanisms for collaboration. The changes also acknowledge that a flexible and agile approach to service delivery has to exist at the local level. This means there won’t necessarily be a defined demarcation between who can provide a service to a particular young person. Instead, the needs of the young person will be the clear priority.
The newly established Regional Youth Support Coordinators will play a key role in communicating the aims and objectives of the Youth Support Coordinator Initiative, as well as providing a regional contact point for the program. Regional Youth Support Coordinators will lead the development of stakeholder relationships between Youth Support Coordinators and Youth Connections personnel. Youth Support Coordinators and Youth Connections will also build and strengthen their relationships directly to provide better coordination, as well as ensuring no duplication occurs.
YouthSupport Coordinators will continue to be based in schools where their focus is on prevention and early intervention to reduce the risk of a young person disengaging from education. However, if the Youth Support Coordinator has an existing relationship with a young person no longer at school, they may be better placed to provide an ongoing service in that instance.
An improved data collection system will enable improved accountability and transparency, due to more rigorous data being available for the Youth Support Coordinator Initiative. This data will be shared with stakeholders to better focus service delivery.
The Youth Support Coordinator Initiative and Youth Connections are highly valued initiatives. Commonsense, collaboration and goodwill will see our most at risk young people receive the best possible support to maintain or re-engage with their education or make a successful transition to further education, training or employment.
DEFINING QUESTIONS
What is the role of the Regional Youth Support Coordinator?
Regional Youth Support Coordinators will ensure strong coordination of Queensland and Australian programs, identify unmet need and ensure services are well focused. This position will still undertake frontline delivery which will keep them connected to the real experience of working with disengaged young people.
What is the role of the Youth Support Coordinator?
Youth Support Coordinators provide support to young people who have recently disengaged, or are at risk of disengaging, from the Senior Phase of Learning. The YouthSupport Coordinators re-engage, or prevent disengagement, by providing direct support that is appropriate to the situation. The majority of the work of the Youth Support Coordinators occurs with young people in schools and TAFEs.
What is the role of Youth Connections personnel?
Youth Connections provide a safety net for young people who have disengaged or are at risk of disengaging from education, and offer flexible case managed support and services that recognise the role that family and community play in a young person’s wellbeing and development.