PCYC NSW has announced a funding boost towards local programs for vulnerable youth.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Partnering with the Greater Charitable Foundation, $411,096 will support four PCYC Fit for Work programs in the Hunter and Illawarra.
Involving 16 to 18 year olds, Fit for Work runs for 10 weeks and addresses disengagement from family, education and employment.
Students learn resume writing, mock interviews, and complete work placements before transitioning on to full-time employment or apprenticeships.
The program aims to prevent anti-social behaviour and crime activity.
PCYC NSW CEO Ben Hobby said the new partnership will allow them to increase program capacity, and potentially expand locations across the Hunter.
Many young people were slipping through the school system, and trying their best to be invisible until they were old enough to go out into the world but they were ill-equipped to do so.
- PCYC youth coordinator, Janelle Sceresini.
"[Fit for Work] is an intensive intervention to open their minds to these possibilities, re-engage youth that are on the periphery and put them on the course for the future," Mr Hobby said.
He said the programs were "life-changing" as once teens engaged in the course, they tended to stick with it.
PCYC state curriculum manager and instruction designer, Anne-Maree Gralton, said across the state, 83 per cent of attendees had retained work following Fit for Work.
Since its inception four years ago, PCYC has delivered more than 80 Fit for Work programs in NSW.
PCYC works with local schools to support and refer students to the program.
Mr Hobby said they provided targeted one-on-one mentoring, and training that extended beyond education skills, such as constructing furniture from flatpacks.
"They receive first-aid training, CV preparation, mock and real interviews," he said.
"Training in literal life skills is a big emphasis."
Mr Hobby said there are a number of youth that are disengaged from traditional education pathways and local communities that don't know what their future could look like.
"We are not just changing individual lives, we are shaping the fabric of our future society, fostering a rising generation of resilient, skilled and engaged community contributors," he said.
PCYC youth coordinator, Janelle Sceresini got involved in Fit for Work three years ago after 30 years as a high school teacher.
"Many young people were slipping through the school system, and trying their best to be invisible until they were old enough to go out into the world but they were ill-equipped to do so," she said.
Ms Sceresini has seen students who struggled to complete year 10 maintain employment past the program.
One of Ms Sceresini's former participants now services cars at a Toyota branch and another is a cook at an upscale restaurant.
"To see them thrive in 10 short weeks was so heartwarming," she said.
PCYC Fit for Work trainer, Paula Quigley said the program was a crucial support system for young people who might face marginalisation.
"It teaches resilience and being able to positively adapt to challenges," Ms Quigley said.
Greater Charitable Foundation CEO, Anne Long said she was excited to partner with PCYC and improve financial wellbeing through their Fit for Work program.
She said teens become part of a support network at PCYC that promoted sustainable employment.
"What makes this program so unique is that PCYC is here to fall back on," she said.
"The Fit for Work program is all about connecting with young people and giving them the support and guidance to make good decisions for the next stages of life."
Jessica Belzycki
Journalist at the Newcastle Herald.
Journalist at the Newcastle Herald.
