A Cessnock-founded program that tackles youth unemployment will be shared with councils across Australia.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Cessnock City Council officially launched its Youth First Program Toolkit on Friday.
The toolkit – which gives councils the tools to support young people to be job ready – was developed from the council’s Cessnock City Youth First initiative, a ground-breaking pilot program that upskilled local young people helped them obtain relevant industry qualifications in retail and hospitality.
The initiative was born after the Hunter Valley Youth Unemployment Symposium, which was facilitated by Cessnock City Council in 2015, recognising the need for a region-wide approach to address youth unemployment.
Through the Youth First program, council provided young jobseekers with training and hands-on experience at its own facilities (such as the Hunter Valley Visitor Centre), and post-placement support.
If every council in Australia was able to get 10 of their unemployed youths into work using the Youth First Program Toolkit, a minimum of 5000 jobs could be filled nationally by our young people each year.
Cessnock mayor Bob Pynsent said he is extremely proud to share this toolkit with every council in Australia and hopes they will roll it out.
“It was fantastic to see the transformation of the young people who participated in our program,” Cr Pynsent said.
“Giving these young people the opportunity to be mentored saw many of them secure work, some ahead of even finishing the program.
“I encourage every council in Australia to read the toolkit that has been developed for use by local government and consider rolling it out in their existing council facilities, as we have an opportunity to reduce the alarming statistic of youth unemployment and can change the course of a young person’s life.”
The NSW Government’s Department of Industry’s Training Services and Office of Regional Development worked in partnership with Cessnock City Council to make the program a reality.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald MLC said he strongly supports the toolkit.
“There is nothing more important than helping students prepare for a very dynamic workforce,” he said.
Yancoal Austar Coal Operations also proudly supported the program. Operations manager Brian Wesley said this is an important issue for our community.
“We are very aware of how training and education can make a genuine positive difference to the lives of others,” he said.
