The Key Processes that Engage Disaffected Youth

A Research Project on BoysTown’s Social EnterprisesSalote Mafi, Australia

BoysTown Social Enterprises

● Client group Marginalised young people

aged 15-25 years

● Objective Develop and enhance the

work-readiness of marginalised young people Real-life work environment

with added support Paid work for participants The output of the work is

visible in the community

BoysTown Social Enterprises

● Key components Experiential learning of vocational and employability

skills Training to reinforce the learning of vocational skills Case management and group workshops to address

individual barriers to employment

● Examples Landscaping Graffiti removal Asset and property

maintenance Construction Hospitality

Australian Research Council Linkage Project

● Griffith University and BoysTown collaboration Reconnecting Disaffected Youth through Successful

Transition to Work

● Mixed method Interviews about key processes to engaging young people in social enterprises

40 young people 52 BoysTown staff members

Surveys to measure personal development

542 young people in BoysTown’s social enterprises

Program Engagement Centredness

5

Cognitive-Motivational Outcomes

Person-Centredness

7

Psycho-Social and Cultural Outcomes

Success-Centredness

9

Employment and Education Outcomes

• 73% obtained positive employment or education outcomes

41% gained full-time employment 20% engaged with education 12% gained part-time employment

• Of the participants who obtained an outcome:

89% remained in their outcome for at least 13 weeks 80% remained in their outcome for at least 26 weeks

“It’s good, they change lives, they turned me around… Because before I came here I was starting to fall down the wrong path but when I came here I changed. I’m a better person now.”

What the young people say…