News and Events
Support For Youth Strengthened
10 June 2009
Wesley Uniting Employment and Wesley Vocational Institute have combined to provide much needed services for youth in the Eurobodalla and Hastings areas, thanks to a Federal Government Grant under the Innovation Fund Panel funding.
The “Best Options” project will focus on local youth, supporting them with accredited training, relevant to their local labour markets. A key to the project will be linking disadvantaged youth with local community leaders from fields of business, sport and community services. Young people eligible for assistance under the Best Options Project will be Indigenous, Homeless, or seriously disadvantaged. Services will be based in Wesley’s Employment Service centres in Port Macquarie on the Mid North Coast of NSW, and Bateman’s Bay on the South Coast.
It is expected that the Best Options Project will assist more than 120 young people during it’s two years of operation.
Wesley Uniting Employment has been delivering Employment Services in these areas for close to ten years, and the strong local networks established during this time will be used to support the young participants as they engage and remain connected with school, work and the broader community.
Training will be delivered through WUEs affiliated Training Organisation - Wesley Vocational Institute (WVI). WVI is the largest Registered Training Organisation in NSW after TAFE NSW. All participants will receive a statement of attainment as a ‘leader feeder’ on completion of the project, providing a pathway to further study and/or employment. WVI will also use a long standing partnership with Murcotts Driver Training to provide safe driver training and mentoring support to participants under the Best Options project.
Local community leaders will be assisted to develop their skills in mentoring young participants of the Best Options Project. This training will build on the valuable knowledge and experiences already possessed by the community leaders, assisting them in their efforts to mentor and support the youth of their local communities.
The Best Options Project is an exciting partnership which joins together 197 years of Wesley Mission knowledge and ability with Wesley’s Employment and Training Services, local service providers, and local community leaders, to equip the most disadvantaged youth in the communities of the Eurobodalla and Hastings to reach their full potential, and to achieve significant change in their lives.
The Best Options project is an Initiative of Wesley Mission and the Uniting Church, and is funded by the Federal Government. Further details about the Best Options Project can be obtained by emailing Gary Izzard.
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