A trail-blazing program aims to equip young people with skills to help them transition from youth detention to working a trade.
The ‘Try a Trade’ program will give young people in NSW juvenile detention centres the chance to try their hand at anything from carpentry and landscaping to barbering and bricklaying.
Rolling out across all six Youth Justice Centres around NSW, the initiative aims to equip the teenagers with new skills to transition back into the community.
Similar programs have been held at centres in Western Sydney and southwestern NSW.
Workshops were held in a range of trades including carpentry, painting, mechanics, landscaping, bricklaying, welding, barbering, plumbing, warehousing, barista and traffic control.
It's hoped the boys can build community connections and supportive links to continue their education and training for when they leave custody.
Youth Justice Minister Jihad Dib said the program is already yielding success.
One young person who left Cobham Youth Justice Centre recently took up an apprenticeship with a local plumbing company involved in the program.
"We are giving young people a chance to reach their full potential," he said on Wednesday.
“We don’t want to see anyone, no matter their age, spend time in a justice centre but where they do we want them to have the skills they need to start over upon their release.”
Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Minister Tim Crakanthorp said everyone deserved the chance to learn a skill.
“When someone leaves a justice centre we want to give them the best possible chance to seize opportunities and thrive," he said.
“No matter their background, everyone deserves the chance to learn a skill and contribute to their community.”
The program will continue for the remainder of the year thanks to a partnership between Youth Justice NSW and Training Services NSW.
