By XAVIER SMERDON
AT JUST 16-years-old some Wyndham residents have been through more trials than most people will experience in their entire lives.
Businesses in the municipality are now being called upon to give these young people an opportunity to create a fresh start for themselves.
Whitelion Open Families Western Region Manager, Geoff Hamilton, runs the Wyndham Streets to Work program.
Along with Senior Employment worker, Edna Silva, he helps Wyndham residents aged 16 to 24 find secure employment.
“This is the fastest growth corridor in Australia and along with that comes the fact that there are a whole lot of disengaged young people,” Mr Hamilton said.
“Quite often these young people make the best employees because when they are given an opportunity they jump at it.”
Mr Hamilton said it was every Wyndham resident’s responsibility to support the area’s young people.
“There are young people in Wyndham who need jobs and part of our community responsibility is to look after our young people,” he said.
“At Whitelion we provide pre-employment training and once our clients are job ready we find them emplyment.
“But we also support the employer. We follow our clients for as long as it takes to make sure they can get back on their feet.”
For more information on Whitelion Open Families visit www.whitelion.asn.au
