No. 2. March 2002
NEWSLETTER
Macarthur Youth Commitment Newsletter No.2 March 2002.Page 1 of 2
This newsletter is an attempt to bring everyone up to date with the current activities of MYC.
WHAT IS MACARTHUR YOUTH COMMITMENT?
MYC is a network of many organisations in this region that is developing a safety net and trying to support young people as they leave school and move on to work or other training. It is especially seeking to help those young people ‘at risk’ of leaving school before finishing year 12 or an equivalent level vocational course.
It is a preventative, collaborative strategy that has been progressing since 2001, based on prior networks (Full Service Schools Program etc). MYC is the local strategy being developed from the model developed by the Dusseldorp Skills Forum to address school to work issues ( There is some Macarthur information you can check out on this site at
CURRENT STATUS
Peter Raymond has been working full time as interim coordinator since January 2002 as Jenny Woolfe has moved back to her role at Leumeah High School. A big thank you to Jenny for all her significant foundational work last year with MYC (and FSSP prior to that.)
The Management Committee meets monthly to oversee MYC strategy, funding and activities. Working groups are in operation and it is at this level that wider community and agency participation is sought.
The groups are:
- Exit Procedures group – Developing the student passports and exit procedures for schools;
- Transition brokers group – Working to implement this strategy to support early leavers post school;
- Mentoring group – Developing adult mentor support for ‘at risk’ students;
- Employer Links, addressing issues related to availability of work placements, linking young people to jobs;
- Youth Participation, encouraging youth participation and gauging youth opinion on implementation of strategies;
- Data Management, mapping the data needs of the MYC and evaluating success of strategies;
- Marketing, Community education, marketing, information sharing. (This group has not met yet).
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by a group of the key stakeholders including MACROC,Centrelink, TAFE, Dept of Education & Training, Premier’s Dept, Dept of Housing, GROW Macarthur, Macarthur Community Forum, Dusseldorp Skills Forum and the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation.
The strategic plan being developed will look from 2002 - 2005 and seek support for the ongoing needs of the MYC as indicated in the plan. A two page ‘Statement of Strategic Intent’ gives overall aims and measures, and these are expanded in the strategic working plans that give strategies, measures, timeframes etc. Anyone wanting a copy can contact Peter on 4620 1709 or . We want input and comment to refine these working documents.
UPDATE ON ACTIVITES
The Exit procedures working group has developed a ‘Student Passport’ document that was used as a pilot in term 4 2001 with students in year 10 not planning to return to school. About 500 were distributed. This Passport contains a range of helpful resources including action plans, jobseeker contact numbers, sample resume and job application guidelines and interview tips. Feedback surveys are being distributed in Term 1 2002; this pilot passport will be refined and adapted for future use. Anyone who has seen this passport is invited to let us know what you think of it.
This Exit procedures group has also refined a student exit document that it is hoped will be used across all schools. Ideally an exiting student will complete it, getting appropriate staff sign off before they leave the school. It gives helpful information on intended destinations, and will provide some standardised regional data. Contact Peter Raymond to see a copy of this.
A model for Transition Brokers – youth workers who will help early school leavers make the transition from school to positive outcomes – is being developed and it is hoped will be piloted in a few schools in 2002 if funding is gained. Initial hopes for pilot funding have been dashed by negative responses from funding bodies. This group has been discussing how these Transition Brokers will complement what Careers Advisers do to value add to their important role.
Mentoring strategies for coordinating mentors to help support ‘at risk’ students are developing. The DET Plan-it Youth coordinator’s position was advertised in Feb; TAFE Outreach are providing mentoring training for community members and a pilot will be implemented in 3 Campbelltown District schools in 2002 (Picton HS, Elizabeth Macarthur HS, Leumeah HS). This project will get a great boost when the coordinator starts. Job Mates mentoring of indigenous students and the Wollondilly Youth Mentoring project are collaboratively being developed with Plan-it Youth. Each have slightly different youth targets, but they are complementary projects, so we are working together where possible. Representatives of each project are on a common steering committee.
A survey of 4800 Macarthur businesses has been completed by UWS Students with Premiers Dept. funding to determine youth employment trends and attitudes. 180 fax back responses were received giving information on the businesses, their growth plans, the attitudes and skills desired in youth, youth employment, traineeships and work experience placements. This report was received in early March and will help guide the Employer Links group’s strategy.
Positive messages that come out of this are that a majority of responding companies are forecasting future expansion over the next 2 years, and many of these already employ young people. Over a third of respondents offer traineeships or apprentices, and a quarter host year 11 & 12 VET student work placements. Attitude and initiative are the qualities most looked for in young workers by employers, and communication and teamwork skills are highly regarded. Macarthur businesses are growing and they want young people with the right attitude to support their growth.
Further follow up research has been discussed to get a wider and more representative sample of employers and their perspectives on youth employment issues.
The Youth Participation group has been developing aspects of the MYC strategic plan and working plans that deal with youth participation, consultation and empowering young people. They are seeking to get young people to comment on the Student Passports, and to get some feedback on School to work issues from the perspective of young people who have recently made the transition.
Clearly identified statistical benchmarks and periodic evaluation are essential for all strategies developed. The data managementgroup has met to discuss the scope of data collection that is needed. It is starting to develop the required strategies to effectively evaluate MYC strategies, and put in place processes to measure the indicators. This group contains representatives from the Catholic Education Office, Dept. of Education & Training, UWS Office of Regional Development and UWS Education Faculty; and wants other contributors.
With such a large community partnership the sharing of relevant information to everyone is an important strategy. Young people, teachers, employers, parents and stakeholders need to be informed about what is happening, and how they can contribute, get help or support as appropriate. Anyone with marketing, media or other relevant expertise is invited to contact Peter Raymond to be part of a Marketing working groupto help promote, educate and market Macarthur Youth Commitment and it’s projects to the region.
FUNDING ISSUES
Immediate and sustainable funding is a major issue.
The coordinator position is continuing thanks to funding from ECEF until other full time funding is confirmed. We did not get the DETYA funding applied for (ICYS & CATS), other sources via GROW and Sustaining Regions have been applied for. Strategies will not be given substance until funding is found, so that is a major focus of management committee’s concerns.
WHY DO IT? BACKGROUND RATIONALE
Australian school retention rates have fallen in the last decade. Increasing numbers of teenagers are neither in full time work nor full time education. Young people leaving school before completing Year 12 or achieving an equivalent level of education and/or training elsewhere face long term disadvantages such as unemployment, lower incomes and other risks to their well being. Macarthur retention rates are 4-6% below NSW averages.
A whole of community partnership is required to address these issues, which is what MYC is seeking to do.
Management Committee members
MACROC- Denise McGrath (Chair)
MYC Coordinator - Peter Raymond
Premiers Dept.- Maria Visotina
Education (DET)- Greg Prior
Young person- Greg Allott
Centrelink- Darryl New
Macarthur Community Forum - Cheryl Eather
TAFE (SWS Institute)- Cathie Gerloff
Community Links- Kevin Garrick
Youth Participation- Mark Berriman/Tina Britton
Dusseldorp Skills Forum- Lesley Tobin
Management Committee meets 1st Thursday of each month in 2002.
Contact Details
Macarthur Youth Commitment Coordinator
Peter Raymond
C/- Training Co-ordination Unit Campbelltown TAFE
PO Box 599 Campbelltown NSW 2560
Room K. 1.26 Campbelltown TAFE
Ph: 4620 1709Fax: 4620 1865
Email:
Web:
Macarthur Youth Commitment Newsletter No.2 March 2002.Page 1 of 2