Bid to help at-risk youth

Rockingham Police and Community Youth Centre manager Jackie Abbott wants to roll out a new program to help at-risk youth with future employment.

Mrs Abbott said the first step to wards helping youth was triggering an interest. She plans on doing this with the My Steps to Success Program.

“The vision (for the program) is to open the doors to future career paths and self-empowerment of participants by introducing basic skills, know-how and self-confidence to succeed in a career of their choice,” she said.

“It is to capture all of their interests, because they are all different and, until we show them what is out there, we are not going to know what they are interested in.”

Mrs Abbott said participants who took part in the course would be required to attend Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm and take part in a range of alternating challenges.

“Students would be exposed to hospitality, heavy and light industrial, building and construction, electrical, retail, commercial and business employment sectors,” she said.

“There are several modules and the two things that are consistent are the food, diet, health aspect and team building, but every day their other activities change in the hope they will retain interest.”

Mrs Abbott said a key aspect of the program was ongoing mentors.

“We are going to have two part-time mentors who will build up relationships with the children all the way through the program and continue doing that well after they have left, so if there are any hurdles they come across, the mentors will be able to help them out,” she said.

“The key is making sure they have access to on-going support once they are placed in employment – that is where the real work starts.”

The centre has submitted an overview for the My Steps to Success Program to Innovation Australia in a bid to receive a grant to lift the program off the ground. Mrs Abbott said she would be informed in June if Rockingham PCYC was successful.