A program that helps young people disengaged from education or employment has been saved despite the federal government cutting its funds last year.
Hume council has signalled it will step in to underwrite the Moving Forward program, which helps 15 to 19-year-olds who are disengaged, socially isolated and vulnerable.
The federal government previously funded the program through Youth Connections, which had its funding cut on December 31 last year.
Moving Forward, introduced in 2010, operates three times a year at Broadmeadows, Craigieburn and Sunbury to teach life skills and work readiness to some of Hume’s most at- risk young people.
Until last year, Hume council paid for the program facilitator while federal government funding paid for another staff member, at a cost of $52,772 a year.
In its draft youth strategy, released last week, the council committed to continue funding Moving Forward from its annual operating budget. Hume’s council’s leisure and youth manager, Bruce Fordham, said keeping Moving Forward going was vital because there was nothing else like it in the region.
“We have young people in Hume who leave the education system and then are unlikely to be able to get a job,” he said.
“The road to adulthood can be very, very rocky and a daily challenge for some of our young people.
“Moving Forward puts out a hand to young people who are falling through the cracks at that point in their life when they move through to adulthood.”
In the past five years, the council has delivered 16 Moving Forward programs to 142 young people, 85 per cent of whom have completed the program. Mr Fordham spoke of Sunbury teen Alyssa’s turn-around, to highlight the program’s capacity to help struggling youths.
The 17-year-old wasn’t attending school and found life a constant battle before signing up to the 10-week program. After graduating, she did work experience at Living Legends before applying for animal studies at Bendigo TAFE and starting a part-time job at McDonald’s.
“Alyssa is a perfect example of what Moving Forward is about, and why the program is so important to young people in Hume,” Mr Fordham said.
