1 September 2011

Youth Transition Service on the move

In an effort to be more accessible to young people, the Selwyn District Youth Transition Service has moved from the Rolleston Council buildings to the Rolleston Community Centre.

The service will now operate from a mezzanine room up the stairs off the foyer, Youth Coach Jennie Down says.

“I felt the service needed to be more visible to young people who were not excited about coming into the Council buildings. The new Rolleston Community Centre room will be a drop-in centre, a better environment for young people,” she says.

A bookcase outside the room will feature career resources and anyone will be able to browse those whenever the community centre is open.

Ms Down will be available to talk to young people from 8.30am to 5pm on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Clients are coming and going through the service very quickly at the moment.

“A lot have gone back to education, some to jobs in town and some find work out here. Often all they need is a bit of help looking at options, someone neutral to help them figure out their next step,” she says.

Ms Down assists with exploring further education opportunities and sifting through job sites. She also helps clients put together their CVs and complete job applications. The service is tailored to each individual and is focused on helping young people make decisions that are right for them.

The community centre location is handy because young people can pop downstairs to use the free library computers to further their research and go back up to see Ms Down with ideas.

Most referrals to the service came through the Canterbury Youth Transition Service (www.cyts.co.nz) call centre. All Canterbury youth between 16 and 20 years old are monitored and contacted every six months to ascertain whether they need assistance from the service.

Schools, parents and self-referrals make up the remainder of her client list.

“When I see them, they’re all really motivated. No-one’s making them come to see me. They want to move forward, they just need some help getting there.”

ENDS

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