The Engage! program is a social participation and engagement program aimed at supporting and empowering young people from CALD backgrounds to have experiences and opportunities to build skills that support their knowledge of and access to Education, Employment and Social and Community Networks. This program works to improve the settlement outcomes for this cohort.
With a foundation in using a trauma informed, strengths based approach the fundamental goal is to increase participation through a range of fun, educational and social inclusion activities for newly arrived young people.
It’s envisaged to develop young people's sense of belonging, increase their knowledge and understanding of multicultural society in Australia and to improve outcomes for pathways into education, training and employment.
Ames Australia Youth services have been successfully running “Bus Trip” industry tours under the Engage! program for a number of years, visiting successful businesses, sole traders and organisations including the Western Bulldogs Football club, Melbourne Polytechnic and Melbourne Fire brigade. It is a great activity for young people to build up new skills and get a comprehensive understanding of work culture, work environment and their employment rights in Australia, as well as being a great opportunity to gain valuable insight into the operations of and different roles available in a diverse range of industries. These “Bus Trips” have provided a great support for disadvantaged and disengaged young people to explore the possibilities and inform their decisions around pathway planning and setting goals for education and employment.
Due to COVID restrictions in 2020, the industry tours were not able to continue as they have been. Ames Australia Youth Services were determined to continue to provide this valuable opportunity to the AMES Youth and have come up with an innovative way to deliver this program; The Virtual Industry Tours.
Streaming live on location (COVID protocols followed), the first Virtual Industry tour will take place at Eltham’s Zen Den Café. Zen Den Café is a fruitful and popular business, built by migrants and thriving in the restrictive COVID pandemic times. Ames Youth Services Program Manager, Jonathan Mitchell, will be on hand to meet with Business owner, Spencer, who will give a tour of his Café before opening himself up to answer the questions that young people have put forward in the weeks leading up to the Virtual Tour. Ames Youth can tune in live, ask questions and make comments throughout the tour, just as if they were there themselves.
Details:
Date: Friday 9th September 2020
Time: 4pm – 5pm
Where: Zoom
How to get access:
This virtual tour is open to anyone 17 to 25 years of age.
Please register your interest in attending the virtual tour at youth.services@ames.net.au.
Stay tuned for announcements on future programs for youth!