Last year, we successfully pivoted our Youth Jobs PaTH: Employability Skills Training (EST) program to go completely virtual in response to the pandemic, and as we emerge into COVID normal, our EST is back delivering in-person programs. During this time, we increased our capacity to now cater for THREE times more young people every 3-weeks across two locations in Melbourne's CBD and north - which will continue to grow as we bolster our supports for young people re-entering the workforce into a post-COVID economy.

​​​​​​​EST is a 3-week program that teaches young people to be adaptable in an evolving and highly competitive job market by developing their strengths and skills to prepare for or re-enter the workforce into meaningful employment. Participants work intensively with a youth-specialist coach and in small groups on interactive and engaging projects and activities to develop core employability skills (including teamwork, communication, problem-solving, initiative and enterprise, technology, planning and organising, self-management and learning).

EST Block 2 group visit Foresite as part of their industry immersion experience.

The first face-to-face group at our CBD location completed their 3-week block on Friday and included Thom*, who lives with Aspergers. 

Thom was non-verbal when he started his program and really struggled to communicate with the group. By the final day of the program, Thom was teaching his peers how to play Monopoly and began actively participating, socially. His self-confidence improved so much throughout the program that he landed a full time job before he had even finished the program.

"I am just so happy that someone has finally given me a chance. You (really) can amount to anything, as long as you put in the effort”

All of the young people who participated in the program said that they felt more confident to re-enter the workforce, were more confident in job interviews and that their self-confidence improved throughout the program.

Another young person shared that before participating in EST she had “completely lost hope and confidence in herself” and that this program “gave her the confidence and boost she needed to get back out there and start applying for jobs again.”

Participants in EST engage in a range of activities.

By the end of the 3-week program, four (of nine participants) secured jobs during and immediately after the program, including full-time positions. Dylan has started a full-time role at a law firm, Siobhan got a bartending gig at her local pub, Faith is about to start in Traffic Management and Adam is now working part-time in the deli at his local IGA whilst working towards studying Community Services.

Eligible jobseekers (<25 years) who are connected to a jobactive provider, can be referred into Block 1 and Block 2 of EST. If young people are interested in completing the program, they can get in touch with their jobactive consultant and ask to be referred to 'Youth Jobs PaTH: Employability Skills Training' at Youth Projects.

For more information visit www.jobactive.gov.au/path or drop us a line.

*Name has been changed with respect to participant's consent preferences