Youth Collective Impact Initiatives

South West Connect is committed to empowering young people in South West Sydney to be resilient and resourceful individuals.

  • VET Students Careers Summit

    VET students (Yr 10-12) acquired skills and knowledge to help them get the most out of their work placements through being mentored and interacting with industry experts throughout the day. This includes interactive Career Workshops, VET Industry Q&A Panel and Speed Networking. There was an extremely high level of interest in our region with SWC receiving over 900 registrations from students, teachers, and industry representatives.The VET Summit was developed on the foundation of 10 years of feedback, consultation and requests received from VET teachers, Host Employers and Industry Stakeholders. The aim is to provide practical insights and advice to VET students to help them contribute meaningfully during their one-week work placement.

    VET Students Careers Summit 2022 (click to view link) VET Students Careers Summit 2023 Video (click to view link) VET Students Careers Summit 2023 Recap

  • Ambition+ PLUS

    Ambition PLUS is an immersive careers-focused program that aims to help students learn skills and knowledge to improve all aspects of their lives. The program provides tools and resources for students to grow their current skill set and discover career pathways that suit their interests and passions. Over 330 students from 10 schools participated in various activities, such as keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and masterclasses, that covered topics such as personal development, communication, leadership, entrepreneurship, and more.

    AMBITION+ PLUS Masterclass 2023 Recap Ambition+ PLUS Masterclass 2023: Video

  • Youth Mental Health Summit/Youth Wellbeing Success Summit

    The 2023 Youth Wellbeing Success Summit (YWSS) was a day dedicated to promoting youth wellbeing and success. The event connected school communities with local service providers, and fostered an environment of engagement for the service providers to share knowledge with the students.The YWSS featured a diverse range of activities designed to inspire and educate students. The Speed Wellbeing Networking session saw students rotating to multiple service provider stalls to ask questions and engage with experienced service providers. The interactive format of this session allows for a deeper connection between students and service providers, enabling the sharing of knowledge, resources, and valuable insights.

    Youth Wellbeing Success Summit 2023 Recap Youth Wellbeing Success Summit 2023: Video About previous YMHS events (Download PDF)

  • Project CARE/FUSION

    Project CARE is an aged and youth empowerment volunteer program for high school students and aged care residents.Project CARE encourages, supports and increases participation in volunteering at an early age and assists students in making the transition from school to work while enhancing their employability skills. It also enhances empathy, bridges the generational gap, improves community connectedness and social inclusion.Previously called FUSION, SWC has been running this program since 2014 thanks to ClubGRANTS, with over 400 students and local schools such as Westfields Sports High School, Bossley Park High School, Canley Vale, Liverpool Boys, Liverpool Girls, Prairiewood and Miller Technology.

    Project CARE 2022 - 2023 Video (Click to view link) Project CARE 2022-23 (Click to view link)

  • Dare to Dream Big

    The SWC Dare to Dream Big program is a social & emotional learning (SEL) early intervention program that works with primary schools to support children’s motivation and aspirations to become engaged in meaningful activities and career education. It also supports children to acquire skills for success to successfully transition through different life stages and to handle related social and emotional challenges. The program also has a beginner course into transitioning into high school. Students get a head start learning important skills such as reading a timetable, how to make friends, using a calendar to stay organised, and support networks they can rely on to make them feel more confident about starting high school.

    Program Journey (Download PDF)

  • Class Chefs

    Class Chefs gives a group of up to 30 students the chance to run a restaurant for the day. They plan, cook, prepare and serve a 3 course fine dining experience (or 6 tasting plates) for up to 120 paying customers within a 3 hour session – comparable to some of the busiest restaurants in the city.Under the guidance of the restaurant staff and the SWC team, high school students aspiring a career in hospitality will get a hands-on experience in all aspects of running a restaurant, front and back of house. Class Chefs allows students to experience working under pressure, demonstrate strong communication, outstanding teamwork, workplace time management and problem-solving skills. These skills are often difficult to demonstrate or master in the classroom yet are crucial in the workplace.

    Celebrating 11 Years of Class Chefs - Featured on 9News! Class Chefs Video by RIEP (Click to view link) About Class Chefs (Download PDF)

  • Mini Seek A Skill

    Mini Seek A Skill is an interactive careers expo where Stage 3 students (Year 5 & 6) have an opportunity to interact with adult volunteers representing a job/trade/career/industry.These stall holders help students to “explore skills to help you succeed in any job” and discover options and pathways to meaningful employment. Students create engaging mini projects during the activity, enhancing knowledge of career pathways and acts as a tool enabling the continuation of the conversation with parents at home.Channel 9's TV News reporter, Mike Dalton covered the SWC's Mini Seek A Skill events in 2022, and interviewed students about it. It appeared on both the 4pm and 6pm National News.

    Mini Seek A Skill on Channel 9NEWS (Click to watch video)

  • Expos

    SWC has a strong and proud history of hosting expos for 18,900 students over the past decade. Ranging from large scale events for 3,300 high schools students held across 3 days at the "Try a Trade" expos and the "Mega Seek A Skill" expos, down to the smaller scale "Mini Seek a Skill" events for 100 - 300 primary school students. Additionally, Since 2017, SWC has formed a collaborative partnership with Brett Carter Events (BCE) to enhance the visibility and engagement of the Careers Market and the Apprenticeship & Traineeship Expo in Region E.

    SWC & Expo's (PDF)

  • Mini Career Mentors

    The program involves several classes of Year 5/6 students from different schools exchanging letters in the school year with adult volunteers from different vocations and professions to improve literacy and inspire their learning through the art of letter writing. Students were able to ask questions about their mentor's careers and gain a further insight and unique perspective into what that industry looked like. At the conclusion of the year, students received a letter back from their Career Mentor. At the conclusion of the year, students have an opportunity to meet their career mentor during a group excursion to the CBD where they have lunch at a memorable Sydney City location near the Sydney Opera House and Royal Botanical Garden.

    About Mini Career Mentors (Download PDF)

  • FUSION (Fun Unite Smile Ignite Older New) An Aged and Youth Partnership

    FUSION – Bridging the cultural and generational gap and promoting careers and volunteering in aged care and healthcare. The project encourages, supports and increases participation in volunteering at an early age and will assist students in making the transition from school to work while enhancing their employability skills. Students learn about the healthcare / aged care industry, how to care for the residents and the pathways they can follow to start a career in the aged care and healthcare industry. Students can use these skills with their own grandparents or continue to volunteer in the community. At the conclusion of the project, participants will have donated 2,000 hours of volunteering time.

    About FUSION (Download PDF) FUSION 2020 FLYER (Download PDF) FUSION 2020 VIDEO (Click to view link)

  • STUDENT POP UP CAFÉ

    The “Student Pop Up Café” initiative provides an opportunity for an entire class of VET Hospitality (Food & Beverage) students to run a café for the morning and also be co-assessed under the guidance of industry experts and their teacher.Students will serve 200+ meals consisting of an espresso coffee and a bacon and egg roll during the service period. Vegetarian options are also available.This is a unique opportunity for students to gain real life experience and serve paying customers (and meet customer commercial ratios) outside of the school environment

    ABOUT STUDENT POP UP CAFÉ (Download PDF) STUDENT POP UP CAFÉ VIDEO (Click to view link)

  • STEP Up to Success

    The program works with young leaders to train them to build resilience and life skills in raising their aspirations, financial literacy & numeracy skills which empowers them with the confidence to excel in class and in life. The STEP up to Success program is derived from Second STEP, an Evidence Based Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) Program. It comprises of multiple layers of activities and programs that lift the aspirations of the students and encourage them to dream about their futures, including structured workshops and aspirational tours. Importantly, it provides students with foundation skills of SEL which help create social cohesion within the classroom and playground, preparing them for high school, university / TAFE, and the workplace. The Second STEP resilience and problem solving program has had a positive impact on the students through a sustained and intensive focus on SEL skills.

    STEP Up to Success Program Information Flyer (Download PDF)

  • Big Dreams Bigger Futures

    SWC’s ‘Big Dreams, Bigger Futures’ project supports children to realise their aspirations and achieve their full potential. The project works in partnership with primary schools, students, their families, businesses and community services, to support and grow children’s motivation to engage in meaningful activities and education, that will in turn keep them enthused throughout High School and beyond.

    About Mini Seek a Skill (Download PDF) About Aspirational Behind the Scenes Tours (Download PDF) About Mega Seek a Skill (Download PDF)

  • Second STEP

    The Second Step program is an evidence based program approved by the Australian Government, designed to teach children how to understand and manage their emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Second Step helps students gain these important skills for success in their transition to high school and eventually into tertiary studies or the workplace.

    Second STEP Program Information Flyer (Download PDF)

  • Aspirational ‘Behind the Scenes’ and ‘Future Links’ Tours

    Students visit local businesses and discover the many career options available to them across different sectors including health, hospitality, tourism, man­ufacturing, community services and many more. These tours provide practical and hands-on experiences that enable students to aspire to meaningful futures, as well as to educate them and their families about opportunities, pathways and services readily avail­able to them in their local area. To reinforce the concepts gained, students com­plete an activity worksheet as they ask questions and interact with each host employer.

    About Aspirational Behind the Scenes Tours (Download PDF) About Aspirational Future Links Tours (Download PDF)

  • Future Links Future Ready

    SWC has partnered with local schools & businesses to deliver a unique & innovative approach to navigating careers and connecting with employers. Through a series of interactive sessions, participants have been inspired and motivated to take action after gaining the skills and resources to help them overcome common barriers.There are 4 main components of the project, which were delivered throughout the year: (1) Future Links Career Workshops and Seminars, (2) Career Explorer Tours (including tertiary education options) , (3) Future Links Skills Journal (to log career options and aspirations), (4) Mentoring & Volunteering.

    About Future Links Future Ready (Download PDF)

  • STEPS to a Brighter Future & Dream Big For A Better Future

    These programs include an Aspirational Behind the Scenes / Future Links Tour and an Evidence Based Program to help participants connect with adult role models in a workplace setting and to start seeing a better future for themselves.This initiative helps disadvantaged primary school students facing bullying and generational welfare dependency by providing resilience and life/financial skills and raises their aspirations to provide them with the confidence to excel in class and in life.Disadvantaged students are likely to underperform, disengage from education and leave school early. "STEPS to a Brighter Future" & “Dream Big for a Better Future” takes a collective impact approach, bringing together the education, business and community sectors and is underpinned by Evidence Based Programs including World Health Organisation endorsed programs, delivered by facilitators trained to get the best from participants.

    About STEPS to a Brighter Future & Dream Big For A Better Future (Download PDF)

  • Seek a Skill Interactive Careers Expo

    SWC and its partners developed the Seek a Skill Interactive Careers Expo, as a means of addressing the skills and jobs shortages across Western Sydney and inspiring young people to consider and explore career pathways by connecting with people already in the field or have the resources to help them. The Seek a Skill motto of “find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it” (Katherine Whitehorn) remains highly relevant as we continue to explore opportunities to evolve the Seek a Skill initiative to inspire even more young people.

    About Seek a Skill Careers (Download PDF)

  • Dare to Dream

    “Dare to Dream” helps primary school (including CALD and refugee) students at risk of generational unemployment and welfare dependency with resilience and life skills and raises their aspirations, financial literacy & numeracy skills to provide them with the confidence to excel in class and in life. Disadvantaged students are likely to underperform, disengage from education and leave school early. “Dare to Dream” takes a collective impact approach, bringing together the education, business and community sectors and is underpinned by Evidence Based Programs including World Health Organisation endorsed programs, delivered by facilitators trained to get the best from participants.

  • Yamaha Student Grand Prix

    The Yamaha Student Grand Prix Partnership created in partnership with SWC due to the skills shortage of experienced technicians in the marine and motorcycle industry. Since taking part in the Yamaha Student Grand Prix in 2013 as a Year 10 student, Brenden Williamson has gone on to be awarded the “2015 Australian School Based Apprentice of the year” and also gained the official government title of “Australi­an Apprenticeships Ambassador”.

    About Yamaha Student GP (Download PDF)

  • Mini Career Pals (Literacy and Career Aspirations program)

    The program involves a class of Year 5/6 students from different schools exchanging letters throughout the school year with adult volunteers from different vocations and professions to improve liter­acy and inspire their learning through the art of letter writing. With the aim of building capacity within schools to deliver their own version of Mini Career Pals using the tools and resources already created by SWC, SWC will host a breakfast session to share this information with schools across the Fairfield and Liverpool LGA’s interested in replicating this fun, innovative and relevant real life aspirational program in their own schools. Successfully adapted by Marsden Road Public School, their version covers 3 of the Department of Education’s Strategic Directions – Creating Futures Together 2015 – 2017.

    About Mini Career Pals (Download PDF)

  • FRIENDS for Life

    FRIENDS for Life – FfL is an Evidence Based Program (EBP) that develops numerous social and personal skills, as well as building positive relationships with peers and adults. Developed in Australia and acknowledged by the World Health Organisation, the FfL program also promotes self-esteem, problem-solving skills, psychological resilience and self-expression. This program is a soft entry point to connect with young children to ‘plant the seed’ of future-thinking.