Something needs to change

There are thousands of young people who are completely disconnected from any idea of a ‘normal’ working life.  Many of them have left-school early and/or find themselves in their late teens or early twenties without any clear idea of how to move forward.  They are unemployed. Some of them have never had a steady job; many have been unemployed for years.  Worse still, they have no idea of what they are truly capable of.  They cannot see their potential and they have resigned themselves to a life of being the ‘outsider’, someone who doesn’t fit the system.

The problem with all of this is that the costs to both the individual and the community are extraordinarily high.  For the individual, life can be characterised by an overwhelming sense of ‘lack’.  There is never enough money, home-life is sometimes unstable, and the effect on their physical and mental health is obvious to anyone who cares about them.  In some instances these young people are without any positive adult role model.  Sometimes nobody cares.

So what do you do about it? 
And how do you stop it from happening in the first place?

The first answer is a bit easier to answer than the second, but I will have a go at both.

So, what to do?  Well, at youthinc we are finding new ways to engage with long-term unemployed and other at-risk youth.  And our idea is pretty basic… we put these young people into work and then we go to work on them.  We think that work can be a good context for change – it provides an identity (and the fact is, the first thing people ask you is what you DO, not who you ARE).  Work also gives you structure and money, and money means you have choices.  But, just as importantly, work means you are interacting with other people and this opens up opportunities to learn.

But, work is just the beginning, and that is what’s so different about our approach.

Once these young people are in stable employment we provide a range of personal support services (counsellors, mentors etc); then a range of personal development programs.  These ‘extra’ things help young people to develop a sense of who they are, what they want and how they are going to ‘get there’.  The programs teach life-skills, and they encourage young people to develop a belief in their own ability to create a life for themselves – and others around them.

When these young people find their way, they want to give back. It’s the same for you and me.  We know that we couldn’t have gone this far on our own, and it’s a natural thing to want to ‘pay it forward’.  So, we are always looking for opportunities to tap into the leadership capabilities of these young people. With personal experience, we find that they are often better-placed than anyone to ‘make a difference’.

So, that’s what we do… earn; learn; lead.  It’s a work in (or about) progress… And it takes time.

But it’s worth it!  And I invite you to see how you can help.

Yours sincerely,

Fred Heidt
Youthinc, General Manager

PS. One day I was returning to the office when I was surprised to see an older lady pushing a shopping trolley along the footpath.  It was the sort of thing that you are more likely to see on TV or in places like San Francisco where homelessness is so prominent. This lady was struggling with her life-possessions and I was struck down by the awkward and unusual sight. Part of me wanted to help, the other part didn’t know how to.  I mean, what do you do about this? To what extent do you get involved? What happens if she tells me to ‘bugger off’? Sometimes it’s hard to know how to help others. This may also be the case for you right now.  If it is, don’t worry. Let’s talk about how you can help. We promise NOT tell you where to go! Fred.