A program helping disengaged young people get back on track is looking for its next batch of students keen to head into education or employment.
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The first 20-week Reconnect program at South West SEAL has just finished, helping its first seven students re-focus their lives and plan for the future.
First-round students Aaron Smith and Tayla Johnson said the program, which is run in conjunction with Brophy, helped give them the confidence boost they needed to undertake more training and look for a job.
Mr Smith said traditional school wasn’t for him and the environment at SEAL allowed him to learn in a relaxed setting.
“It was good. You could go at your own speed,” he said.
He is now looking for work and will complete further training at SEAL, while Ms Johnson is keen to complete her certificate III in community services.
“I wasn’t doing anything (before joining the program),” Ms Johnson said.
“I enjoyed going out and doing things and trying heaps of things that I never would have done otherwise.”
SEAL chief executive Debra Dumesny said the program involved a variety of activities.
“They do a lot of personal development, but in amongst that there is a lot of good activities,” she said.
“What we try to do is have them take part in activities that are creative but have some foundation in something like a life skill.
“We also work on a life plan for them for where they’re going with work and further education.
“We continue to work with them for another 18 months so when they finish the 20 weeks here, they’ve got another 18 months of us calling them at least monthly to see where they’re at and whether they’re still engaged or if they need a hand.”
Ms Dumesney said the program catered for young people aged 15-24 and she hoped more would sign up for the next program.
“The outcomes have been really good with the young people we’ve had through so far,” she said.
One of the tutors, Harry Vines, a slam poet who used role play and performance to get students out of their shells, said their self-confidence grew.
He also praised tutor Frank Attanasio for his work with the students in the Reconnect program.
“I can imagine in a general setting they would not have a particularly high esteem of themselves,” Mr Vines said.
“But after working with Frank, the attitude you could see in there displayed by them was, without being corny, pretty emotional. It was pretty spectacular to see how engaged they were.”
