Ventia and Youth Enterprises Australia (YEA) have partnered to create opportunities for talented 18- to 25-year-olds to work across two nbn® projects within Ventia's Telecommunications Sector.   

YEA is a Melbourne-based labour solutions social enterprise, part of a not-for-profit organisation with a 24-year history of engaging and supporting young Australians. 

YEA improves the lives of disengaged young adults by providing a structured six-month program of support to ensure early career success, to learn how to navigate any relevant barriers to obtaining employment, and to maximise the opportunities available through YEA's embedded training program and Ventia's supportive work environment.  

Ventia is very proud and grateful for the opportunity to work with YEA. Eleven young adults have to date commenced six-month work placements where they perform document control and data related work that Ventia is doing on behalf of nbn.  

"The impact that YEA is having reminded me of the transformative power of meaningful work, and the importance of providing opportunities to those who are often left behind," said Samuel Evans, Ventia Senior Project Director, NBN N2P.

Young people and Ventia will benefit greatly from the vibrant mix of perspectives and experiences that only comes from hiring young and diverse talent.

A transformative opportunity 

To date YEA has achieved a 100 per cent retention rate of the young adults engaged by YEA to six months of employment. To drive this outcome, dedicated Account Managers and Placement Coordinators are allocated to ensure that all parties are fully supported whilst YEA is engaged on Ventia projects.  

"The opportunity with Ventia has been transformative for these young adults," said YEA CEO Andrew Cameron.

Working with Ventia's team has provided a strong platform for their ongoing success at work and capacity to independently sustain employment into the future.

He added: "YEA exists to support young adults who haven't readily made the leap from adolescence to adulthood. We invest in their capacities, provide employment opportunities, and offer a range of supports that foster a sense of community and confidence. We provide the tools, services and space for young people to realise their greatest potential, and then champion them to do the rest". 

As they approach the end of their six-month employment opportunity, candidates will have developed the necessary confidence, resilience and employability skills to help them transition into other work opportunities - either with Ventia or other organisations. 

"Working with Ventia has been a great experience," said Brett, a young YEA employee. "I've had the opportunity to learn and contribute to the data analysis which underpins the construction of one the largest network companies - nbn. This has been a fascinating and exciting area to be a part of. Being part of a team that reviewed and catalogued an astronomical amount of data was a big undertaking." 

To learn more about meeting team objectives whilst creating employment opportunities for young people, please contact Helm's General Manager Programs Kumari Fernando at kfernando@helm.org.au.