Cuts to employment-access programs in Melton may leave school leavers under 17 with “nowhere to turn”, according to the chief executive of Djerriwarrh Community and Health Services.
Djerriwarrh executive officer Trish Heffernan said she was “really disappointed” following the announcement that two programs that helped vulnerable job seekers would be axed under the new federal budget.
One of the programs is Youth Connections, which will wind up on December 30 this year, with 10 Djerriwarrh staff set to go with it.
“This is where young people who hadn’t finished school would turn. Unfortunately, when it finishes, there will be no replacement,” Ms Heffernan said of the program.
She said Youth Connections had helped more than 500 people under 19 in Melton and Brimbank since it started in 2010.
These young people reported many barriers to achieving education or employment, including low literacy and numeracy, inadequate family support and mental health issues.
Also on the scrapheap is the Australian Apprenticeships Access Program, which provides pre-vocational training and support for vulnerable job seekers.
Since 2007, more than 140 job seekers have been employed as ‘patient services assistants’ with Western Health, thanks to a partnership with Djerriwarrh.
Western Health spokesman Steve O’Byrne said most of those graduates still work for Western Health, and if the program hadn’t existed many of them may still be jobless.
Ms Heffernan said cutting the program would have heavy implications for job seekers and staff, who would lose jobs over the next six months.
In a move that is hoped to bridge the loss, Djerriwarrh will start an introductory trades course with Victoria University in Sunshine, and a retail/hospitality program in Melton.
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