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Youth engagement gets a boost at Warren

Western Plains App

Kristin Murdock

14 March 2023, 8:20 PM

Youth engagement gets a boost at WarrenCooking lessons are a hit at for participants in the Warren Youth Support Group.

Two new youth engagement officers will be employed at the Warren Youth Support Group, boosting support for the unique "Warren Workforce" program that is currently offered to local youth.

 

"We received almost $320,000 in funding which allows us to employ two people for one hundred weeks each," Warren Youth Group EO, Kelly Sinclair said.


"As part of the Warren Workforce, we currently take groups of four youths out to local farms for paid work experience. Funding gives us the guarantee that we can have regular staff available for supervision.


"We have never had the finance to be able to do this before."


 

Ms Sinclair said the other new employee will help with administration as well as supervising youth at the centre.

 

"With the on farm training, we aim to engage disengaged youth that are no longer at school or who aren't working," she said. "We will build the program up to become three days of paid on-farm work and one day of study toward practical things like obtaining a White Card to work in various industries."

 

The Warren Youth Centre was established in 2013 and attracts ten to fifteen young people to its drop-in centre daily. Catering for youth aged 10 - 24, Ms Sinclair said a range of activities are available.

 

"While the farm working scheme is for those aged 16 - 24, we find plenty of other kids come into socialise, join in our cooking classes and other programs. We provide a safe space and aim to create motivational patterns," she said.

 

The on-farm scheme has proven successful in initiating a solid work ethic, with former participants going on to roles in nursing, the justice system, traffic control and also back onto farms.

 

"My own daughter has gone on to work on a farm after leaving school in year 10," Ms Sinclair said. "We can really see the successes and want to change the focus to providing early intervention rather than disengagement becoming the norm."

 

The youth group also holds weekly social basketball games where local emergency service personnel come along and take on the youth group participants in a positive, fun atmosphere.

 

Until now, Ms Sinclair has been the only staff member on site and she is looking forward to having two new faces come aboard.

 

"We are currently conducting interviews, so things should be ready to go in the next month or so," she said.