Partnership Broker Program


The Highlands LLEN works on a pretty simple principle. Young people who complete year 12 at school or complete industry based certificates have a much better chance of living up to their aspirations. Basically, the Highlands LLEN works towards helping young people to achieve this goal.

The way we work differs from town to town. The Highlands LLEN covers Ballarat, Moorabool, Pyrenees, Hepburn and Golden Plains North. Each of these areas has its own local skills, talents, programs and community champions. Our first step is usually to bring together schools, parents, council, organisations and community to share responsibility for their young people and look at what is needed to keep them in programs and activities where they exist, or create new ways to educate or train them if things aren't working. We pride ourselves on being adaptable and flexible to local needs and wants, as long as the end goal stays the same.

The Partnership broker program objective is to facilitate these partnerships and networks to help identify opportunities for engagement or re-engagement of local young people at risk of dis-engaging. Local solutions are vital and the only real way to create something sustainable and reliable - a vital thing to young people at risk.


 

 

Partnership Name

Partnership Bio

Partner Organisations/People

Outcomes to Date

Multi-Agency Support Teams – Networks in Ballarat South West and Daylesford

The MASTs are a service level partnership of teachers, welfare and health care professionals to detect and treat problems young people may have as they go through education. These problems may include wellbeing, housing, finance and education placement brokerage.

 

There are currently two MASTs operating in our HLLEN region and two more are being developed in 2013.

·         Schools & Education providers

·         Local Health Services

·         Children and Family Services

·         DHS

·         Youth Connections

·         DEECD

·         Local Council Youth Services

·         Re-connect workers

·         And more…

·         Inter-agency referral

          networks established

·         Outcome Star training

          completed

·         Shared assessment tool

          being implemented –

          Outcome Star

·         Organisation profiling

          using language for young

          people to understand

·         Organisational

          relationships strengthened

·         Data sharing

·         Professional supervision

          and debriefing

Community Action Networks (CAN) – Creswick, Daylesford, Ballarat South West, Smythesdale, Beaufort and Bacchus Marsh

CANs are strategic level networks that provide innovative learning opportunities for young people who have dropped out of school early or are at risk of doing so.

 

In recognition that local people can identify local needs with great accuracy, CANs, empower local communities to come up with local solutions to barriers that prevent young people from completing their schooling.

 

CANs do this by bringing together schools, community organisations, community leaders, businesses and government agencies, such as health, justice and community services.

 

By bringing these groups together at the local level, CANs unleash the local knowledge and energy to keep young people involved in learning.

 

There are currently 6 CANs in operation throughout the HLLEN region.

·         Schools & Education providers

·         Local Health Services

·         Children and Family Services

·         DHS

·         Youth Connections

·         DEECD

·         Local Council Youth Services

·         Strategic Network

          Developed for resource

          sharing and advocacy at

          the strategic level

·         A local Secondary level

          re-engagement program

          created in Creswick

·         Daylesford Enterprising

          Youth Project  created and

          delivered

·         Daylesford Homework

          Group created

·         Shared programs across

          schools and community

          providers

·         Funding attracted

·         2 MAST networks created

·         Youth Space created and

          coordinator position

          co-funded

·         A Cyber IQ Evening

·         “Working with Children

          Check” day – 20

          community volunteers

          attended

·         Quicksmart training for

          volunteers

·         Anti-Bullying community

          awareness session

·         Drug Information sessions

·         Industry Expo

·         Transitions Projects

·         Parental Engagement

·         Community engagement

Creswick Linked-Up

The Creswick Community Action Network is in a unique position of having the agencies, government, schools, community and parents who are willing to dedicate time to establishing a program for its disengaged or at-risk young people. There is nothing currently being offered locally and transport has been identified as an education and employment barrier.

 

This program will be a two day per week education program with a focus on literacy and numeracy through activity based learning one day per week and an industry placement the other day.

·         Victoria Police

·         Hepburn Shire Council

·         Creswick Railway Workshops

·         Creswick Neighbourhood Centre

·         Dept. of Education and Early

          Childhood Development

·         St. John of God

·         Central Highlands Primary Care

          Partnership

·         School Focused Youth Services

·         Creswick Primary School

·         Creswick & District Community Bank

·         20 volunteer parents and community

          members and local businesses

·         Evidence for program

          need sourced through

          partners

·         Venues established

·         Local Industry engaged in

          work placements

·         Development of learning

          materials

·         Delegation of roles

·         Community awareness and

          publicity commenced

·         Program funding from local

          Community Bank received

 

Learning 2 Lead – Koori Connections

The HLLEN is continuing its partnership with the local Aboriginal community, organisations, education providers and the City of Ballarat to deliver a leadership program for Koori young people. The program is made up of two aspects; a cultural camp where young people get the chance to visit significant Aboriginal sites and speak with local Elders to get a better sense of culture and Aboriginal advancement followed by formal training in leadership skills and engagement in activities.

·         LAECG

·         VACSAL

·         VAEAI

·         DEECD

·         City of Ballarat

·         HLLEN

·         DoJ

·         BADAC

·         Cultural Camp attended by

          18 Koori young people

·         Weekly engagement of

          participants

·         Cultural Identity sessions

          through language, art and

          dance

·         Participation in Dreamtime

          at the G

·         Koori youth forum and

          concert – 50 young people

          at forum and 250 people

          attended concert

·         Leadership sessions

·         Media presentations,

          articles and interviews

·         Event management

          including band bookings

          and speakers

BADAC Aspirations Project

HLLEN and BADAC have identified a gap in Aspiration programs for Koori young people aged 11-14 so will be  delivering aspiration sessions utilising a qualified Career Practioner to implement some of the learning from Grey Poehnell and the “Guiding Circles” principles and content around aspiration building and “Chasing your Dreams”.

·         BADAC

·         HLLEN

·         Youth Connections

·         HLLEN Career Hub

·         Evidence

·         Partnership Formed

·         Training undertaken by

          Career Practioner in

          “Guiding Circles” principles

·         Action Plan developed

·         Youth engagement

          underway

Central Highlands Koori Educators Network - Koori Student Taster Sessions

The HLLEN is partnering again with local schools, educators and agencies to give Koori Students in Ballarat and surrounding areas exposure to local industry and career opportunities. An important part of aspiring to work locally is visiting industry, allowing Koori students the opportunity to see first-hand what jobs” look  and feel like” and how different skills are implemented in the work place.

·         LAECG

·         Local Secondary Schools

·         DEECD

·         VAEAI

·         Youth Connections

·         Workplace Learning Coordinator

·         JobCo

·         University of Ballarat

·         UB Tafe

·         Partnership formed

·         Employers/Industries

          identified

·         Action Plan developed

Headspace

The HLLEN is continuing to partner with Headspace Ballarat to bring local support to young people who are going through difficult times. The HLLEN will continue to offer community engagement opportunities as well as education and work-readiness support.

 

·         Grampians Medicare Local

·         HLLEN

·         Headspace

·         City of Ballarat

·         Youth Connections

·         Lead On

·         Representation on the

          Community Awareness &

          Engagement

          Subcommittee

·         Representation on the

          Ballarat Community of

          Interest and Consortium

          Meeting

·         Working towards opening

          April 2013

·         Supporting education and

          pre-employment

Koori Learning Circles

HLLEN facilitated a partnership between Ballarat LAECG and DHS to start a homework club specifically for young Koori people. Koori Learning Cirles has been recognised as an outstanding initiative of the local Koori community and is continuing to develop in 2013.

·         DHS

·         LAECG

·         VACSAL

·         DEECD

·         VAEAI

·         Local Primary and Secondary Schools

·         Smith Family

·         ACU

·         UB

·         Facilitated partnership

          between LAECG and DHS

          for initial funding

·         20 young people attending

          regularly

·         Promotion

·         Ongoing committee

          support

 

Beaufort Says No To Bullying

The local CAN (BYCN) coordinated a whole-of-town approach to bullying through information sessions, resources and publicity, including a public presentation by Sue Anderson aimed at reaching all people in the Beaufort area. This was conducted in partnership with local Police due to the changes to Brodie’s Law affecting how bullying is treated criminally

·         Locally primary & secondary school

·         Beaufort & Skipton Health Services

·         Pyrenees Shire

·         Pyrenees Newspaper Group

·         Beaufort Guides & Scouts

·         DEECD

·         LeadOn

·         Victorian Police

·         YFV - Beaufort INC

·         Beaufort Community House &

          Learning Centre

·         Central Connect, Ararat

·         Good2Gr8 Coaching (Sue Anderson)

·         Partnership established

          (BYCN)

·         Strategic proposal

          outlined, and tasks

          allocated

·         Media coverage via local

          newspaper

·         Community event held with

          guest speaker

·         Participants surveyed, and

          partnership evaluated

City Kids Experiencing Country Life

The Highlands LLEN is coordinating this program in Ballarat. Comprising of 30 metro grade six students per camp (6 camps in 2013), visiting Ballarat and being introduced to the Agriculture and Food Production industries to understand the role that farming plays for the future. This is a practical and “hands-on” experience for students involved in the program. Students will be actively involved in their learning, undertaking numerous activities including a tour of Ballarat Livestock Saleyards; fishing and cooking at the Tuki Trout Farm; a farm visit which includes digging for spuds; a visit to Sovereign Hill; and a visit to meet students at a local rural Primary School.

·         HLLEN

·         Other LLEN’s

·         CHAF

·         Pax Hill Camp

·         Metropolitan primary schools

·         Local primary schools

·         Local farmers/agri businesses

·         Sovereign Hill

·         Tuki Trout Farm

·         Ballarat Tourism

·         Partnership established

·         Activities and roles

          determined

·         Progressive consultation

          with all partners

·         Camp dates for 2013

          confirmed

Grampians Pyrenees Community Education Connections

Project will deliver Accredited Community Services training in identified skills-shortage areas of Aged Care, Disability & Children Services to residents in small rural towns using predominantly electronic delivery methods via Polycom systems (currently installed and in use by schools in these rural/regional locations). 

·         DEECD

·         Local primary schools

·         NLC’s in Pyrenees and Ararat shires

·         Ararat Shire

·         Northern Grampians Shire

·         Pyrenees Shire Council

·         BRACE (RTO)

·         Local communities

·         Local JSA’s

·         Local healthcare and childcare

          providers

·         Partnership refined

·         Strategic plan developed

          and refined

·         RTO’s approached for EOI

          in program

·         Consultation with local

          schools & shires

Lasting Gifts Aspirations program

HLLEN has an opportunity to deliver a pilot program within our region to engage parents and inform about tools to support positive career decisions within their children.  Five Golden Plains (north) Primary Schools are the target area for the pilot. There is already engagement with the 5 schools through other existing programs.  A second potential pilot site has recently been identified in Delacombe/Sebastopol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

·         HLLEN

·         HLLEN Career Hub

·         SCAN

·         Local Primary Schools

·         Phoenix P-12 college

·         Smith Family

·         DEECD

·         Parents and community members

·         BNC

·         Delacombe Neighbourhood Renewal

          (DHS)

·         Facilitator training of

          relevant staff (HLLEN and

          other organisations)

·         Partnership established

·         Brief created, and

          potential pilot sites

          identified

Defying the Drift

Defying the Drift is a program designed to give students aged 14-16 an insight into various career options within the rural industry, and encourage them to consider staying in or returning to their “hometown” for employment in the agricultural sector.  Initially established by members of the Beaufort Rotary club, and promoted through West Victorian Rotary Clubs.  The program organisers  will partner with HLLEN in order to better promote the program via the LLEN network in that area, and value-add to the program by utilising WLC’s and Career Advisors within those networks to enable participating students to further their knowledge and access to rural industry careers.

·         Rotary (esp. Beaufort)

·         Marcus Oldham College

·         LLEN’s in Western Vic

·         HLLEN Career Hub

·         Secondary Colleges in Western Vic

 

·         Partnership btw Rotary

          Beaufort and HLLEN

          established

·         HLLEN proposal re. 

          in-kind support submitted

          to Rotary for consideration

          and comment

 

Koorie Engagement Action Group - KEAG

The City of Ballarat's Koorie Engagement Action Group (KEAG) was established to continue the previous work of the Unfinished Business Advisory Committee.

The group’s aim is to enhance the opportunities for Koorie residents of Ballarat to contribute, participate and benefit from Ballarat's community life. 

Major priorities of the KEAG are to: 

• Advise the City of Ballarat on matters of engagement for Koorie people in the region (not including cultural heritage issues) 

• Oversee the implementation of a Reconciliation Action Plan.

HLLEN has had representation on the committee as an education advisor for two years.

·         City of Ballarat

·         DEECD

·         VAEAI

·         LAECG

·         HLLEN

·         WDEA

·         Arts Victoria

·         BADAC

·         DoJ

·         LIN

·         UB

·         Wathaurong Aboriginal Corporation

·         3 Koorie young people

          have been placed in

          traineeships and

          apprenticeships within

          multiple sections of council