What is Youth Pathways - Helping young people stay in education?
- Youth Pathways - Helping young people stay in education aims to assist those young people aged 13-19 who are most at risk of not making a successful transition through school and from school to reach their full potential by keeping them engaged or re-engaging them with education or training. The expansion of Youth Pathways (to improve its capacity to keep young people with mental health issues in education) forms part of the Commonwealth's component of the Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) National Action Plan on Mental Health 2006-2011.
- Responsibility for Youth Pathways rests with the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
Why is this important?
It is estimated that each year approximately 25,500 young people will leave school without completing year 12 or its equivalent and subsequently may not make a successful transition to further education, training or work, and active community life. Of this target group, it is estimated that 20% may experience mental health issues.
Who will benefit?
Young people who are 13-19 years old who are at risk of not making a successful transition through school to the completion of Year 12 (or equivalent) and who may have a mental health issue. Youth Pathways is also available to young people aged 13-19 who have left school in the previous 12 months.
What will Youth Pathways - Helping young people stay in education deliver?
Youth Pathways provides 25,500 full service places for individualised assistance and transition support. The program has also provided skills to Youth Pathways providers 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.
How does it work?
Intensive individualised assistance and transition support is delivered by a network of more than 65 organisations on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. The organisations are primarily non-government and community based, in 100 service regions covering the nation.
Providers:
- Identify participants who may have a mental health issue that is identified as a barrier to successful transition;
- Support those participants identified and assist them in addressing the mental health issue that is a barrier. This is undertaken by facilitating appropriate referrals to assistance and further support.
What funding is attached to this program?
$59.5 million 2006-2011.
When did Youth Pathways - Helping young people stay in education start?
1 January 2007.
How is Youth Pathways - Helping young people stay in education progressing?
All Youth Pathways providers commenced delivery of this service on 1 January 2007. Training for all Youth Pathways providers was completed on 30 April 2007. In 2007, more than 2,500 young people who were indentified as having a potential mental health issue that is a barrier to successful transition were assisted through Youth Pathways.
Further information
http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/career_development/programmes_funding/programme_categories/
key_career_priorities/yp
http://www.careeradviceaustralia.gov.au/youthpathways/
Page currency, Latest update: 15 May, 2008