A social enterprise to overcome employment barriers and address a skills gap in the community ↓

Aboriginal young people in Moree Plains face a lot of barriers to employment. Lack of entry-level roles, limited opportunities, low education levels and entrenched disadvantage have led to a 30% youth unemployment rate – compared to 14% in the broader New England District. A lack of meaningful employment has negative flow on consequences including poor health and wellbeing and increased interactions with the criminal justice system.

At the same time, Moree is currently the focus of significant infrastructure investment, with development associated to the Inland Rail and the Special Activation Precinct leading to increasing demand for tradespeople – a trend expected to continue over the next 40 years.

In 2022, Miyay Birray Youth Service (MBYS) started to bring a ten year long vision to life, embarking on the journey to establish a trades-based social enterprise – ‘Warrama-Li’ (Goomeroi word meaning ‘to build’). Warrama-Li will simultaneously address the supply gap of locally based qualified tradespeople and support the personal and professional development of young people in Moree.

By employing, training and supporting Aboriginal people through apprenticeships, Warrama-Li will facilitate the creation of young Aboriginal role models, leading to a whole of community shift towards strong economic participation.

Giving Warrama-Li the tools to succeed ↓

MBYS had already begun to expand on its core youth service offering in 2021, having secured contracts for small scale lawn mowing and garden maintenance services with local Aboriginal housing providers. The proposed service offering for Warrama-Li in the first couple of years is general repairs and maintenance services, moving into residential construction down the track.

Initially, Aboriginal young people will be hired as general labourers, progressing through to an apprenticeship in either electrical, plumbing or carpentry. Underpinning the social enterprise model is a comprehensive wrap around program which will offer Aboriginal employees financial literacy, legal and technology support amongst other areas. The wrap around support program will be developed in consultation with young Aboriginal community members, ensuring it offers Warrama-li employees the best chance of succeeding. Sefa worked with MBYS throughout 2022 to firm up the business model for Warrama-Li including:

• confirming the evidence base via a detailed market assessment;
• developing the Theory of Change and associated outcomes measurement framework;
• working with the board to complete a skills matrix, identifying areas for professional development for the board to be better positioned to govern Warrama-Li;
• preparing a financial operating model to identify the likely funding gap, helping to support discussions with philanthropists and other funders.

The foundations of a better future for young people ↓

As at February 2023, MBYS had been successful in securing financial support for Warrama-Li from the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation (VFFF) and Aboriginal Affairs NSW. VFFF has not only committed to fund operating costs in the first two years but has also funded Sefa to continue providing strategic support to MBYS in 2023. Establishing a sustainable Work Integrated Social Enterprise is challenging and requires patience and the right partnerships and funding at the right time. We are looking forward to continuing to support MBYS in operationalising their vision this year.

“The team have all been really easy to work with, a more relaxed environment than with other consultants who just come in with the information and are gone again…from both the Board and the team ,we are really glad we chose to work with Sefa.” - Darrel Smith, CEO, Miyay Birray Youth Service