E News

September 2013 Spring Edition

Welcome Message from LAG Chair Tony Mylan

Thank you for taking the time to read the Wyong Local Advisory Group (LAG) newsletter. Our aim in providing this quarterly update is to give the broader stakeholder community a sense of some of the work that is being done in the Wyong Local Government Area within the Better Futures Local Solutions initiative. The Wyong LAG has been established now for just 18 months and we have already seen direct results and significant opportunities in Wyong. You will read about the most recent achievements in this edition. Throughout the next 12 months we will continue this momentum through the place based funded projects and related community action and involvement. In addition we plan to launch our Wyong LAG website, fully activate the Wyong Better Futures Hub and continue to improve employer engagement across the region. If you would like further information, or you would like to find out how you can get involved, please call our Action Leaders Kylie Faulder 0411 574 877 or Alison McEvoy 0447 630 874.

Wyong LAG welcomes more money into Wyong region

On Wednesday 7th August the Minister for Human Services, Senator Jan McLucas, announced the successful projects from the National Place Based Strategic Projects round of Local Solutions Fund applications. Wyong has been successful with funding for three projects: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO LINK YOUNG PEOPLE TO THE WORLD OF WORK Locations: Burnie, Hume, Kwinana, Logan, Playford, and Wyong Funding: $863,636 (Across 6 locations) Funding Period: Two years Funding for this project has been allocated across multiple areas to work with young people in these areas to build a Social Media Platform (SMP) that connects people with employment. This collaborative project will enable each community to develop their own social media approach while reducing the costs and effort around developing the technology.

The application will link people to local and national community services and employment. Training organisations and employers will be supported in using the technology to identify and engage people. The project will be delivered over a two-phase approach. The first phase will involve consultation with young people in each area, and development of specifications for the software. The second phase will develop and deploy the platform over a two year period. BETTER FUTURES IT HUB Organisation: Youth Connections Funding: $260,000 (GST Inc.)

Funding Period: Two years

The Better Futures IT Hub project recognises that websites, social networking, text messaging and apps are tools that young people use to connect with information and each other on a daily basis. This project will build an IT Hub within the Better Futures Hub. The IT Hub will include a virtual centre to provide interactive support and information from various support services across the community to improve job readiness and access to employment opportunities for people under 24 years old. It will identify effective models and approaches for inspiring young people to embrace the technology and use it to support their transition into work. WYONG LEARNING AND EMPLOYMENT PROJECT Organisation: ET Australia Funding: $502,723 (GST Inc.) Funding Period: Two years The Wyong Learning and Employment Project will complement the Better Futures Hub project, by employing a Job Readiness Coordinator to build the employability skills of young people within the Better Futures Hub through hands-on support, guidance and training. The Job Readiness Coordinator will also actively engage local business, industry, training providers and government to generate more employment and training opportunities for young people. An exciting edition to this project will be a social enterprise Business Centre that will procure work from local businesses and provide real life work experience and potential employment opportunities for young people in Wyong.

SPOTLIGHT ON LEAP
Well, LEAP has been running out of Blue Haven Community Centre for just over a year now and is definitely part and parcel of the community landscape in Wyong Shire and particularly northern Wyong Shire. Since our new case coordinator started in mid July she has provided one on one support to over 50 people! These include self referrals, referrals from DHS Centrelink and non-government organisations. We already know that the assistance provided has helped people into employment in Aged Care and Factory Work and enrolment in Midwifery and IT Courses plus linked them in with other services such as Family Support, Family Day Care.

From our community capacity building work we are excited that our Coffee Link mini caf is working well each Wednesday and we have now moved into the outside area as the warmer weather has started. We are now covering our costs from week to week and able to purchase supplies from our income a good start to sustainability! The Blue Haven Community Market is planned for Saturday 16 November outside Blue Haven Community Centre with community members involved in a working party. Working with TAFE we are hoping to be able to run some outreach training for market stall holders after this initial Market Day an important step not just for the future of the Markets Day, but also transferable knowledge which could be used in a work, business or training setting for the participants. A successful Resume Workshop was held in August with The Salvation Army Employment Plus and ourselves with 6 people coming along. A follow up session will be held in a couple of weeks time. For further information on LEAP please contact Margot Castles or Holly Thomas on (02)4390 0897.

Gulgul Barang
Jan McLucas Federal Minister for Human Services announced Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) will receive $2.7 million dollars from round 5B of Regional Development Australia (RDA) funding. The funding will support Darkinjung LALC, and its community partners San Remo Neighbourhood Centre, ET Australia, Central Coast Medicare Local and Youth Connections, build a Youth and Community Centre in San Remo, North Wyong.

The youth centre to be known as The Gulgul Barang Youth and Community Centre will address barriers identified by the Better Futures Local Solutions Local Advisory Group (LAG). The LAG, lead by government and community action leaders and supported by Federal Member Jill Hall, recommended the project to increase community engagement, education, training and employment opportunities and to develop structured infrastructure to support young people on the Central Coast. Chief Executive Officer of Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council, Sean Gordon, said, The Gulgul Barang Youth and Community Centre will be a valuable asset to our region, benefitting the whole community, not just Indigenous youth. The name of the youth centre, Gulgul Barang is from the Darkinjung language and has been approved for the project by The Elders of The Darkinjung Language Group. Translated, Gulgul Barang means Strong Tomorrow and encapsulates the ethic of the Australian Government and Darkinjung LALCs community partners in supporting Central Coast youth into employment through a pathway of structured education, training and mentoring. For more information, contact Project Director Steven Adams on 0427 755 383

For further information about the Local Advisory Group or the BFLS initiative please contact either: Alison McEvoy Government Action Leader Mobile: 0447 630 874 Kylie Faulder Community Action Leader Mobile: 0411 574 877