By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
A PROGRAM aimed at reducing Geelong’s soaring youth unemployment rate faces being cut at the end of the year.
The Youth Connections program, run in Geelong by Barwon Youth, had successfully re-engaged young people into education, training and employment.
But federal budget cuts signalled the end of the program.
Deputy opposition leader Tanya Plibersek told the Independent after visiting the program that it needed to be saved.
“Why would you get rid of it? There is no justification for that, it is just a cost cutting exercise,” Ms Plibersek said.
Youth Connections has been particularly successful in getting disengaged youth back to school and work.
“I am concerned that we are condemning young people to lifetime of unemployment if we don’t get it right early on.”
Ms Plibersek said the funding cut had gone under the radar because health and education cuts had received the bulk of the attention.
“A program like Youth Connections has helped thousands but most are disadvantaged and don’t have the same strong representation in the public debate,” she said.
“This issue has not had nearly as much attention as it should have.”
Ms Plibersek said that with a regional youth unemployment rate of almost 21 per cent, the program played an important role in the region.
“You have one in five young people out of work. How will punishing them help them magically find jobs that don’t exist?
“The government is closing off every avenue, reducing TAFE funding and making university less affordable for ordinary families.”
Ms Plibersek said the closure of major manufacturing operations in Geelong had also closed off a valuable source of entry level jobs for young people.
She said lack of employment opportunities could see a rise in anti-social behaviour.
“The community has to rally around this program because it would be a tragedy to lose it.”
