In February of this year, Charley joined Youth Activating Youth. After a minor infraction, he received a reprimand from the justice system, and was ordered by the court to complete 120 community service hours. Knowing a contact from our Youth Justice program, Charley opted to complete his Community Service hours with Youth Activating Youth.

Through our in-house Employment Support Program, 'Give Me A Chance', the Employment Facilitator advocated for Charley through the JVEN (Job Victoria Employment Network) system, referring him to external jobs programs to assist him in his job-seeking endeavours. The Employment Facilitator liaised with the Youth Justice Officer on a daily basis, ensuring to stay in-sync with Charley’s progress and alert each other on any challenges or issues needing to be addressed. Due to the in-house nature of Youth Activating Youth’s programs, staff can work together with ease to create a holistic approach to advocacy.

After two months, the right fit was found, and Charley is now employed at “2 Tuff Wheels and Tyres” in a full-time role. From long-term unemployment to achieving independence, Charley’s success story is an inspiration for all those facing challenges in the employment-seeking process. With the help of Youth Activating Youth, both the Employment Support and Youth Justice programs, Charley was able to navigate a complicated and often-times confusing network of external employment support, to find the path that suited him best.