Re-engaging young people in Nambucca Valley ↓

As TAFE teachers, co-founders Jillian (Jill) Ashley and Paul Ireland saw first-hand the many challenges local kids in the area faced while struggling to make it in the traditional school system.

“We could see young people becoming completely disengaged. Even at TAFE there was too much work on paper, so kids would leave school with no pathway forward,” Jill says.

If kids are not supported or given opportunities to find education and employment within their communities, they are at risk of homelessness, substance misuse, mental health issues, juvenile crime, and social isolation. 2022 research from NSW Family and Community Services found that completing Year 12 is linked to a 30% reduction in the later risk of homelessness. This is something Paul (affectionately known as ‘Fatty’) witnessed during his years of service as a police officer. And together with Jill, they wanted to make a difference and help local youth find pathways to reach their full potential.

After some research, in 2020, they established ShoreTrack in Macksville, NSW, as a safe space where young people could connect with others and gain critical skills and employment opportunities through practical, skills-based learning.

ShoreTrack’s first cohort of 12 students was mostly self-funded by Jill and Fatty. Now, four years later, with the support of philanthropic, community and government supporters, ShoreTrack has grown to a team of 24 staff that can support 70 young people, ages 10-22 through their programs.

Personal and practical support ↓

At the heart of ShoreTrack is the Shed, the physical space critical to the organisation, creating safety and a sense of belonging. Here, young people can access wrap-around supports to keep them engaged and back in the door each week.

“We provide transport, and we bring the kids to us, and provide healthy meals to keep them going and engaging socially. We organise work experience, their access to other support services and community networking opportunities. We even go watch them play footy on the weekends. We’re a tight-knit community, it’s like a family,” Jillian says.

Staff, including trades mentors and youth workers at ShoreTrack spend time with young people, building positive adult-to-young person relationships to help them develop a genuine sense of belonging and community. The safety and trust that emerge help young people have the confidence to give learning a go so they can navigate failure in a more positive light. As young people have a more positive learning experience and master new skills, ShoreTrack helps them explore and develop new aspirations and reach their full potential.

ShoreTrack’s programs include learning various trades-based skills, such as fencing, mowing, concreting, operating an excavator, and metal fabrication, all delivered in small group settings. Coming to ShoreTrack one to five days a week reengages school students and early school leavers in learning. While sticking to a routine helps them build the employability skills and assurance they need to find and retain long-term employment.

A vision of long-lasting impact ↓

ShoreTrack successfully applied for an EmpowerHER grant and has been working with Sefa on building STeps, ShoreTrack’s social enterprise. This arm of the organisation provides quality industrial and trades projects and services in the Macksville LGA, while giving ShoreTrack trainees on-the-job training and work experience relevant to the regional job market.

First, Sefa supported ShoreTrack’s leadership in exploring the local industry's commercial needs and skills demand in the Nambucca Valley. This analysis helped the organisation understand how to position Steps commercially and the space to offer work experience and traineeships.

Then, Sefa and the ShoreTrack leadership team explored what it would take to achieve the organisation’s strategic goals, modelling different impact, operational and financial scenarios. Jill says this deeper, integrated analysis helped the team see the bigger picture.

“When looking for philanthropic funding, it’s not good enough to say, ‘We do a great job, we love these kids.’ You have to show evidence of your process, how you determine costings, show your future strategy, you have to speak the language – learning that has been so helpful,” Jill says.

And Sefa’s knowledge sharing helped Jill and Fatty understand the whole ecosystem they’re working in and what it takes to stay around long enough to make a difference.

_““In the end, it’s all about leading with impact. While you talk about sustainability and budgets, the most important thing for us is the impact we’re making. But you need the knowledge to be effective.” - Jillian (Jill) Ashley, Co-Founder and CEO, ShoreTrack