Back in the Game

A referral service that provides specialist support to students to help them either re-engage with education, transition to vocational training or find employment.

The Back in the Game initiative provides professional support and mentoring for young people aged 15-19 who are not engaged with their education. The initiative is designed to help students overcome any barriers to their learning and then either re-engage with school or transition successfully to training or employment.

Initiative activities include:

  • Professional mentoring and counselling
  • Tailored career guidance with an emphasis on mapping out the student’s re-engagement with school or their transition to training or employment
  • Assistance to overcome barriers to learning (e.g. assistance with obtaining ID, travel assistance, etc.)

For a young person to be eligible to participate in the Back in the Game program, they must meet the following eligibility criteria.

  • be 15-19 years old;
  • be a student enrolled in, and referred by, one of the participating schools; and
  • not be a current, active participant in any Commonwealth, NSW or any other program or service supporting youth transitions to work or study.

Back in the Game initiative delivery partners by region

Local provider: Enterprise Plus

Offices in: Canberra, Queanbeyan, Goulburn, Moss Vale and Wollongong

Regions: Illawarra, Southern and Shoalhaven

Program Manager: Amie Baard

Contact Email: gbig@enterpriseplus.org.au

Contact Phone: 02 6297 3121

Website: enterpriseplus.org.au

Delivering: Get in the Game and Back in the Game

Local provider: Yourtown

Offices in: St Marys and Campbelltown

Regions: Sydney – Parramatta, Sydney – Blacktown, Sydney – South West

Program Manager: Sue Watson

Contact Emailgetbackinthegame@yourtown.com.au

Contact Phone: 0402 965 622

Website:  yourtown.com.au/employment

Delivering: Get in the Game and Back in the Game

Local provider: Yourtown

Offices in: St Marys

Regions: Outer West and Blue Mountains

Program Manager: Sue Watson

Contact Emailgetbackinthegame@yourtown.com.au

Contact Phone: 0402 965 622

Website:  yourtown.com.au/employment

Delivering: Get in the Game and Back in the Game

Local Provider: Career Links

Offices in: Mayfield

Regions: Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Hunter Valley

Program Manager: Kerri Sadler

Contact Email: GBIG@careerlinks.nsw.edu.au

Contact Phone: 02 4967 1050

Website: careerlinks.nsw.edu.au

Delivering: Get in the Game and Back in the Game

Local provider: Connect Northern Rivers

Offices in: Lismore, Grafton, Coffs Harbour and Tweed Heads

Regions: Richmond-Tweed, Grafton, Coffs Harbour

Program Manager: Aron Hayman

Contact Email: info@connectnr.com

Contact Phone: 1300 183 352

Website:  connectnr.com/wio

Delivering: Get in the Game and Back in the Game

Local provider: Mid Coast Connect

Offices in: Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Taree

Regions: Mid North Coast

Program Manager: Jenny Fraser

Contact Email: information@midnorthcoast.com.au

Contact Phone: 02 6583 5910

Website: midcoastconnect.com.au

Delivering: Get in the Game and Back in the Game

Local provider: The Skill Engineer Ltd.

Offices in: Tuggerah

Regions: Capital, Illawarra, Southern and Shoalhaven

Program Manager: Petrina Waddell

Contact Email: petrina.waddell@theskillengineer.com.au

Contact Phone: 0482 163 665, 02 4304 3031

Website: theskillengineer.com.au

Delivering: Get in the Game and Back in the Game

Local provider: Careers Network

Offices in: Tamworth, Armidale, Moree, Inverell and Narrabri

Regions: New England and North West

Program Manager: Debbie Taekata

Contact Email: info@careersnetwork.org.au

Contact Phone: 02 6763 4800

Website: careersnetwork.org.au

Delivering: Get in the Game and Back in the Game

Local provider: Compact

Offices in: Wagga , Albury , Harden , Griffith

Regions: Riverina

Program Manager: Courtney Johnson

Contact Email: courtney.johnson@compact.org.au

Contact Phone: 0428 639 879 or 02 6931 9300

Website: compact.org.au

Delivering: Back in the Game

Local provider: Skillset 

Offices in: Broken Hill, Bathurst, Mudgee, Orange and Dubbo

Program Manager: Ben Ruddy

Contact Email: youthconnect@skillset.com.au

Contact Phone: 1300 853 525

Website: skillset.com.au/employment-career-development/youth-career-counselling

Delivering: Get in the Game and Back in the Game

Useful references for schools

Where a student has not yet completed year 10, they cannot leave school and engage in paid employment during school hours. However, if school is not the best place for them, there are options (with approval of their principal and family) outside of school that would meet legislative requirements. These options include, but are not limited to, a full-time apprenticeship or traineeship, a certificate II with TAFE NSW.

The following legislation, policies and forms may be useful references when discussing next steps for some students in Back in the Game who are looking to leave school early:

Legislation

Policy

Category:

  • Career advice
  • Career pathways

Topics:

  • Career advice
  • Career advisers
  • Career pathways
  • Parents and carers
  • Skills and Workforce Programs
  • Students
  • Web page

Business Unit:

  • Skills and Workforce Programs
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