Melbourne’s north has one of the lowest school retention rates in Melbourne, with too many young people dropping out after primary school or in early secondary years.
From next year, young people needing career support, training advice, life skills savvy or a driver’s licence to get a job are unlikely to have their local learning and employment network [LLEN) in place.
Hume-Whittlesea LLEN is one of more than 30 locally based support agencies in Victoria under threat after the federal budget bailed on ongoing funding.
HWLLEN chairman John Fry said that without adequate funding, events and programs that supported young people, particularly at-risk young people, could just disappear.
“Young people are expected to earn or learn, but the government removes funding from the organisation that helps young people achieve this,” Mr Fry said.
“It makes no sense. Are we just going to sacrifice this generation to market forces and then face all the social problems that will be created down the line?
“Who will run the Transition Brokers, the Employment Opportunities Fair, the Employment Expo, the Real Industry Job Interviews, the VET VCAL SBAT Awards, the SRC Cluster support, the Finding My Place workshops – just to name a few of our activities?” he said.
HWLLEN fact sheets show at least 648 primary school students are absent from Hume schools an average of one or more days a week, and it is estimated that at least 1296 Hume children attend primary school irregularly.
