Who we are

Now operating in both Western Sydney and Newcastle, JobQuest aims to help disadvantaged members of the community to be resourceful, independent and self-reliant, and be connected and accepted by the general community and the public.

Where we operate

Newcastle and Western Sydney

Who we can help

Secondary students, refugee students, culturally and linguistically diverse students, Schools for Specific Purposes, students with disability.

What we do

JobQuest has decades of experience in delivery of government and non-government youth programs for at risk students and young people. Some examples include:

• early intervention program for attendance and engagement
• family engagement programs for disadvantaged families
• Indigenous programs in partnership with ATSI agencies
• migrant and refugee youth programs
• transition programs linking at risk students to employment, traineeship and apprenticeship
• vocational education programs including foundation skills, LLN and SBAT
• mental health program such as MHFA.

JobQuest’s history in assisting young people has built a strong network of employers, community organisations, schools and government agencies that work together to bring about successful outcomes for our students. All JobQuest personnel have relevant professional qualifications, suitable experience and WWCCs.

Mentoring

This mentoring service targets students aged 11-18 and focuses on:

• leadership skills
• employability skills
• connectedness with families, communities and each other
• resilience, self-awareness and confidence
• problems solving
• understanding of the world of work.

The target groups are disengaged students, students with disability and other barriers, and those identified by the school that may benefit from additional support for either retention, re-engagement or transition from school to work. The typical group size for this course is 10 to 15 students. The program can be delivered on school campus or an external venue, subject to negotiation. Typical timeframes could range from one day per week for a semester, to block delivery of three to eight weeks, again subject to negotiation.

Costs: $6,000 per term plus GST. Minimum 6 students, max 12 students

Engagement or Re-engagement Services

JobQuest offer a variety of initiatives designed to assist disengaged students to connect with their community and develop skills for re-engagement into school or transition. Programs are student driven, and have included Caring Cooks, Cinema, Grounds, Community Connect, Enterprise and Events. All JobQuest Youth Programs aim to offer:

• experience in a workplace environment, including practical WHS knowledge
• valuable, fun, engaging and positive learning experience for students
• problem-solving, teamwork and organisational skills developed within local community context
• positive self-esteem and communication skills
• understanding of employer expectations and links between school and work
• further study or employment options.

Our vast experience means projects can be tailored to suit the needs of the students and the school and mapped to school and NSW state plans where appropriate. We also partner with appropriate and experienced organisations such as Ronald McDonald House, NSW Police or Event Cinemas to deliver real world experiences.

JobQuest has a variety of experienced staff whose qualifications include: education, social work, training, assessment, youth work and project management. Programs generally have between 6 to 15 participants, however we can tailor programs to suit each schools’ needs. We can deliver programs to entire year cohorts as well as in smaller groups and to individuals. Programs can be delivered in school or offsite depending upon outcomes required and location of the school. Many projects involve visits to community or employers.

Costs: The cost of programs varies depending upon number of students and nature of program. Costings include all preparation, supervision and materials. Sample costings per term (ex GST):

• Caring Cooks - $2100 (6 students)
• Cinema - $2100 (6 students)
• Community Connect - $6000 (12 students)
• Enterprise - $5000 (15 students)
• Events - $5000 (15 students)

Youth Work Services

JobQuest provides a range of Youth Work Services including:

• Transition to employment
  Career guidance, work readiness, apprenticeship and traineeship, finding the right job, workplace expectations
• Support for VET and work placement
  Develop employability skills, establish linkage to employers and industries, career and training options
• School retention and re-engagement
  Support to re-engage into mainstream or alternative learning pathways, eg TAFE and alternative HSC pathways, SBAT, apprenticeship, pre-vocational and alternative high schools, LLN and foundation skills support, alternative education pathway
• Community engagement
  Develop and deliver strategies to engage parents, employers, wrap around service providers and community at large
• Behaviour management
  Evidence-based interventions in impulse control, emotional regulation and interpersonal and social skills.

The typical group size for this course is 10 to 15 students. The program can be delivered on school campus or an external venue, subject to negotiation. Typical time frames could range from one day a week for a semester, to block delivery of three to eight weeks, subject to negotiation.

Costs: Typical costs of program is $8,000 per term plus GST for a group of 10 students, subject to negotiation.

Other Student Engagement and Attendance Services

• Professional Development for Teachers in ACSF
  Professional development program for teachers in Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF) aims to help teachers develop an understanding of the Framework and its relationship to the NESA minimum standard online tests for NSW students to receive the HSC from 2020 The minimum standard online tests are based on the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), with students' achievement reported as a level from 1 to 4. Level 3 indicates a nationally agreed level of functional literacy and numeracy. Topics in the Professional Development program include:
• Introduction to ACSF
• ACSF and the Foundation Skills (FSK) Training Package
  How they relate to each other
• Project based learning
  Skills for Work and Vocational Pathways
  (FSK20113) and other FSK qualifications.

The program will be delivered by qualified and experienced expert in ACSF. The program is suitable for teachers and school personnel involved with both mainstream and special education classes. The program can be delivered either on campus or in an external venue, subject to negotiation. Preferable group size range from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 25.

Costs: The cost of the workshop is $250 per participant with a minimum of 10 participants.