As part of its ongoing support of young people in the community, Glenorchy City Council is partnering with the PCYC to deliver a youth pilot project in the City of Glenorchy for 9 months.
Delivered by the Bridgewater PCYC under a new ‘Glenorchy PCYC’ brand, the program has commenced and will run programs in the municipality.
Council is contributing $68,000 towards the pilot, which commenced in October and will go through until June 2023. Glenorchy Rotary is also contributing $10,000 towards the program.
Mayor Bec Thomas said that ABS statistics tell us that in 2021, 13.9% of 15–24-year-olds in the City of Glenorchy were disengaged with employment and education – higher than in Greater Hobart.
“We know that to make our community safer and to give young people the best possible life chances, we need to provide support and opportunities for young people in Glenorchy,” she said.
“Young people in Glenorchy tell us what they need is a place to go and trusted adults to talk to and this is exactly what the PCYC program will provide.
“We are really proud to partner with the PCYC to bring this service to our City to work alongside other stakeholders, to benefit the people of Glenorchy.”
The PCYC will work with local schools, the Salvation Army’s Street team, Mission Australia’s Youth Beat workers, Troublesmiths and the Glenorchy JobsHub to help to provide pathways and opportunities for young people who are not engaging with school and formal education.
Based at Cosgrove High School, the program will also operate in hot-spot areas in and around Glenorchy as required to help service identified needs in the local area.
“The PCYC program has been incredibly well-received in Bridgewater, and we think it will have a similarly powerful impact here with our community,” Mayor Thomas said.
“We are also grateful for the contribution of Glenorchy Rotary and for their commitment to supporting young people in our community.”
Deb Thurley, President of the Tasmanian Association of Police and Community Youth Clubs (TAPCYC) said that the Bridgewater PCYC has been delivering services in schools in Glenorchy City for several years, and today’s announcement is a positive step forward in an endeavour to broaden the PCYC reach across the City of Glenorchy.
“The community brand of Glenorchy PCYC will be managed and operated by Bridgewater PCYC and will supported by TAPCYC,” she said.
“The PCYC activities in Glenorchy City will involve Glenorchy PCYC branded staff building relationships with young people in schools and in the community.
“PCYC staff focus on a strategy of developing relationships with young people that are fundamentally disconnected with education. Through relationship building, in schools and in the community, PCYC staff will work with young people to identify activities and opportunities that interest them and PCYC staff will then endeavour to steer young people in the right direction and get them engaged in activities that will eventually reconnect them with education and/or employment.”
Ms Thurley said that while today’s announcement by Mayor Bec Thomas is being promoted as a pilot project, from a PCYC perspective, the Glenorchy PCYC announcement is a long-term commitment by PCYC to support the Glenorchy City community and the outside of school hours base at Cosgrove High School is also a long-term project that will progressively evolve and develop.
Mayor Thomas said the partnership is one of the many initiatives Council is implementing to support community safety and wellbeing. Council delivers a number of early intervention initiatives for young people, with a focus on building relationships and encouraging smart choices and healthy habits to contribute to long term change in community.
“We call on the State Government to come to the party in supporting the provision of early intervention programs for young people in Glenorchy.”