Throughout the north eastern suburbs of Melbourne, AGA’s Transition to Work program is transforming the lives of young people by opening doors to sustainable employment opportunities. Over three years, the program has worked with more than 2000 participants, achieved 1600 job placements, apprenticeships or traineeships and supported over 600 young people with accredited education qualifications.

AGA Chief Executive, Mark Burns said he’s excited but not surprised with the success of the Workforce Australia funded program.  “The vast majority of young people we support are genuinely keen to find a way into the workforce. Many have had their challenges or struggled to engage for a wide range of reasons, but when they get tailored support from people who care they become much more optimistic and enthusiastic about their future,” Mr. Burns said.

Transition to Work is available to young people aged 15–24 who may not have completed school, have limited work history or are experiencing barriers to work or study. Participants work one-on-one with a personal consultant to determine how they can achieve their employment goals. Support is ongoing and includes making connections with local services and employers to help make sure work opportunities are suitable and sustainable.

Anthony Stamen was connected with AGA and the Transition to Work program in September last year. When he arrived, the 21-year-old was applying for a range of part-time and casual jobs, but none resonated with his passions or offered the long-term prospects he sought. With guidance from his consultant, Anthony explored his core aspirations and decided that further study was the right path forward.

“It was a bit of an awakening in me. I’d been in limbo for a while and hadn’t actually been thinking about what I really wanted to do. I hadn’t asked that question of myself. Having that chat with my consultant, it really just opened my eyes to different possibilities – what I could study, and what I could look to as a future,” Anthony said.

A long-held interest in psychology and working with people led Anthony to start studying for a Certificate III in Community Services through AGA’s education partner, Duke. Now nearly halfway through the course, Anthony said that applying for random jobs wasn’t getting him where he wanted to be, and that he’s now ready to pursue his long-term goals.

“Coming here and having that chat really opened my eyes and gave me that motivation. I needed a bit of inspiration, just to get me going. That’s what really kickstarted things for me,” he said.

“I’m definitely in a different mindset now. I’m thinking more long term and I’ve got more aspirations. My dreams and goals are clearer now, everything’s clearer. I always had them in the back of my mind, but AGA helped me bring them out, bring them to life. Now everything’s in motion.”