At just 16, Jetta found himself without a stable place to call home.

It wasn’t always sleeping rough. Sometimes it was couch-surfing or crisis accommodation. But the impact was the same: instability, loneliness and responsibilities no teenager should have to carry.

“My sense of ‘home’ was always shifting,” Jetta reflects. “I carried a lot of responsibility, emotionally and practically. Life felt uncertain. I knew I wanted to do something meaningful, but I didn’t know how or where to start.”

Today, Jetta is an Engagement Support Officer with Youth Projects, working directly with vulnerable members of the community. His focus? Being the steady, compassionate presence that he once needed himself.

The Challenge: Youth Homelessness and Unemployment in Australia

Jetta’s story is not uncommon. In Australia, over 37,000 young people aged 15-24 experience homelessness each year, making up nearly one-third of the total homeless population. AIHW, 2023.

Unemployment adds another layer. Youth unemployment (15-24 years old) remains more than double the national average, and nearly one in three young people struggle to find meaningful employment after school. ABS, 2024.

That’s where Transition to Work comes in, a program helping young people facing complex barriers to employment, education and stability. Transition to Work offers personalised coaching, job readiness training and holistic support. All done with a big dose of empathy and absolutely no judgement.

Meeting Jordan and Starting Again

Jetta was referred to Transition to Work through Melbourne City Mission (MCM), a long-standing community partner of Youth Projects. MCM provides holistic support to young people experiencing homelessness through programs like Frontyard Youth Services and Youth Housing Initiative. From there, young people are often connected in with Youth Projects for personalised, wraparound support to help them find employment, education and purpose. And that’s how Jetta met Jordan, a Senior Youth Coach at Youth Projects.

“From the very beginning I knew this was going to be a young person I’d remember for a long time” says Jordan. “Jetta had this huge smile, a million questions (including lots about my footy team), and this drive to help others, even when he was facing so many barriers himself.”

Together, they built an action plan that went beyond employment. They unpacked goals, built a resume, wrestled with online education portals and ran mock interviews that “ended in laughing fits”. Jordan admits to being “very harsh” on Jetta’s cover letters, but that was all part of the process.

“Transition to Work gave me structure and made me believe in myself” says Jetta. “Jordan was someone who actually listened, challenged me in a good way, and kept showing up for me. It gave me the confidence to speak up, apply for jobs, and study…even when things were hard.”

From Service User to Staff Member

Now, Jetta is on the other side, as a paid staff member at Youth Projects.

“Every day reminds me why I do this work and how important lived experience is in creating change,” he says. “Sometimes its just listening to someone’s story. Sometimes it’s helping them feel visible”.

Jordan, his former coach turned colleague, has loved having Jetta on the team.

“Watching Jetta step into this role has been awesome. He’s the kind of person who lifts others up just by being around him. To go from a young person navigating so much, to working in the same organisation that supported him? That’s powerful”

Why Lived Experience Matters

Youth Projects doesn’t just value lived and living experience. We actively build our workplace around it. 72% of our staff identify as having lived or living experience, which helps create deeper understanding, stronger connections, and more impactful support for the clients we serve.

“I’ve seen just how powerful it is to have staff with lived and living experience in our teams,” says Sabrina Foti, Talent Development and Retention Manager at Youth Projects. “They bring a level of empathy and connection that you just can’t teach. It’s making our services stronger and our culture better.”

Having staff who’ve “been there” means more honest conversations, deeper understanding and real trust. In a workplace that supports young people facing complex barriers such as homelessness, poor mental health, and alcohol and other drug concerns, that matters to our clients.

Jetta agrees:

 “If there’s one thing I want young people to know it’s that your story doesn’t end where it starts. I used to think my past would hold me back, but now I use it as fuel. Youth Projects helped me see that my experience isn’t a weakness, it’s actually a strength.”

Looking Ahead

Jetta is currently studying Peace and Conflict Resolution, with dreams of working in humanitarian services, maybe the UN or the Federal Police.

“I want to keep combining lived experience with policy and advocacy. And I want to create spaces for young people to grow without fear.”

He’s living proof that with the right support, and belief, young people can not only survive but thrive!

Get in Touch

If you’re an employer looking for team members who bring real grit, heart and potential, we’d love to connect with you. Our young people are so driven, resilient and talented that sometimes we can’t help but hire them ourselves!

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Keen to find a job you actually care about? Learn more about how Transition to Work can help you build confidence, explore career paths, and land meaningful work…just like Jetta!

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Help support those experiencing homelessness by donating to Youth Projects today. 

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