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WAYS Youth Employment Defunded

The following statement has been circulated by Russell King CEO of ways regarding the defunding of their Youth Employment Programme covering Redfern Waterloo on 24 March 2009/

'Federal Government thinking FLAWED' - the impact of closing WAYS Youth Employment

Despite putting thousands of young people in jobs, training and education WAYS Youth Employment has been completely defunded by the Rudd Labour Government - a government which has been espousing their concern for unemployed Australians.

At a time of rising unemployment especially youth unemployment, they have decided to defund Australian community employment agencies such as ourselves and give this funding to Welfare for Profits from overseas.

WAYS Youth Services has been providing federally funded employment services since 1995, from Botany Bay to Redfern and Waterloo to South Head, covering five local government areas.  Under the current contract WAYS Youth Employment and Training has been providing JPET, PSP and Job Network services to over 700 young people who are considered  to be some of the most disadvantaged young people in the area.   We know currently, that 
•  70% of  the young people were homeless at the time of referral to the Job Placement, Education and Training (JPET) programme
•  61% of  the  young people engaged with the Personal Support Programme (PSP) are suffering from mental health issues
•  50% of  the young people in Job Network programmes have numeracy and literacy issues due to a history of academic under-achievement

These percentages are not unusual for organisation’s providing government employment services.

Today, WAYS is one of the most successful employment services agencies in the country at placing disadvantaged youth in work, education and training.   Our employment services programmes have consistently ranked in the top 20% of service providers in all of Australia.  We have successfully matched with the best in the country and have nevertheless been discarded.   WAYS has strong community partnerships and employer relationships all of which have been fostered over many many years.

The rhetoric about the new  employment services has focussed on changes that  will address the needs of the ‘most disadvantaged’, and in particular the needs of young people.   The official jobless rate has been reported as 5.2%;  however, the unemployment rate for 15-19 year olds is about 20%.  There is well publicized concern that a lack of government strategy will see this rate rise significantly.   WAYS is one of the few youth employment specialists in Australia.    What sense does the decision to de-fund a successful youth employment service make in light of this?   What sense does it make to discard these young people for whom, connection, consistency and being comfortable and safe are important, to new providers who do not have the relationships within the community. 

WAYS has made no secret about the value add of the employment services business model which enables opportunity to make additional monies to support the delivery of other state and federally under funded programmes and many other initiatives that have met a range of community concerns.

The Rudd Government decision will have the following key impacts:

  • 827 young people eligible to come to WAYS Youth Employment & Training, many of whom choose to come to WAYS because we are in touch with the kinds of services and assistance that young people need help to access to overcome the difficulties they face to achieving sustainable employment, education, and training options. This kind of integrated service model and expertise takes years to build.
  • 25  full time staff (most of whom live locally) will be made redundant at a cost of $91,000 to the organisation.  This cost will not only endanger our financial viability but will necessitate further service-cutting decisions being taken to ensure our ongoing viability and a continuation of our proud record of service to the young people, their families and the community
  •  casual programme and administration staff will lose their employment
  • 2  dedicated youth friendly, locations will be closed in Maroubra and Redfern at a cost of $20,000

Other key implications for WAYS programmes that will be terminated or significantly reduced immediately are:
•  Outreach services to 2000 young people contacted each year will stop immediately, diminishing the alcohol and other drug and sexual health interventions designed to reduce the harm associated with ‘binge drinking’ and unsafe sex and the associated anti social behaviours
•  A reduction in the number of young people who can be educated in the WAYS alternative school which is only 50% funded by the Federal Government.
1500 contacts made annually with ‘young people at risk’ who participate in a range of diversionary activities e.g. basketball, and other health living as well as crime prevention programmes will be reduced significantly
• Reduced availability of family, drug & alcohol, and gambling counselling services to young people and their families.
• Reduced hours of operation of our drop in Youth Centre from 5 days per week to 4 days a week affecting 37 young people a week.

What you can do? 

Please contact your local ALP Commonwealth Member of Parliament and ask why their government has defunded their local youth employment service.  Their contact details are as follows:

Peter Garrett MP
Member for Kingsford Smith
Maroubra Gateway Building
806-812 Anzac Parade
Maroubra NSW 2035
Tel: 9349 6007

Tanya Plibersek MP
Member for Sydney
422 Crown Street
Surry Hills NSW 2020
Tel: 6277 7780

To email put the following address into your browser http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/mi-alpha.asp

 Each of these Members of Pariliament has a WAYS youth employment office in their electorate that will be closing.

In anticipation, thankyou for your support for our endeavour to get the Rudd Government decision over turned. 

Russell King CEO