What is Connections?
Connections aims to provide an education and personal development programme for young people, aged 13 to 19 years, who have been disconnected from mainstream schooling for more than three months. Connections delivers accredited education, life skills and employability skills training in supported community settings. At the same time, young people are provided with help and support to deal with personal issues and build self-esteem and resilience. The holistic and flexible approach taken by Connections provides young people with the foundations they need to have every chance of reaching their full potential.
Connections, together with the Helping young people stay in education initiative, has been enhanced to improve its capacity to keep young people with mental health issues in education. This forms part of the Australia Government's $1.9 billion Mental Health Reform package and contribution to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006 – 2011.
Responsibility for Connections rests with the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).
Why is this important?
It is estimated that each year approximately 25,500 young people will leave school without completing year 12 and who subsequently may not make a successful transition to further education, training or work. Of this target group, it is estimated that 20% may experience mental health issues.
Who will benefit?
Young people who are 13 to 19 years old who are disconnected from mainstream education and who, without assistance, are at high risk of not making a successful transition to further education, training or fulltime employment. These young people also face personal and social barriers which prevent their reengagement with education.
What will Connections deliver?
Connections will assist disconnected young people aged 13 to 19 to re-engage with education in a supportive environment and provide them with the ability to participate in further education, training or employment. Providers of Connections have had mental health training to assist with the identification of participants who may have a mental health issue(s) presenting as a barrier to successful participation in education or training.
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How does it work?
Intensive individualised assistance and transition support is delivered by a network of organisations, primarily non-government and community based, in 60 service regions covering the nation. See: http://transitdirectory.dest.gov.au/
Providers will:
- Identify participants who may have mental health issue that is identified as a barrier to successful transition;
- Support them; and
- Facilitate appropriate referrals.
What funding is the Australian Government committing?
$34.9 million is 2007-2009 programme funding under the Careers Advice Australia (CAA) initiative.
When did Connections start?
26 April 2007.
What's been done in the past?
Connections grew out of the Partnership Outreach Education Model (POEM) Pilots which were designed to test new ways of engaging young people who had become disconnected from mainstream education, and often their families and communities as well. POEM explored ways of engaging vulnerable young people in community learning environments where they feel comfortable, and that take into account their preferred learning styles and cultural, social and physical needs.
The Pilot was part of the Australian Government's response to the Report of the Prime Minister's Youth Pathways Action Plan Taskforce, Footprints to the Future, which presented a vision of governments and communities working together to assist young people to secure their education and training foundation.
Further information
For further information please see:
Page currency, Latest update: 26 July, 2007