Twentyman pilot in Pakenham, Berwick

Les Twentyman, Sarah Ryan, Dante, Adelle, Daniel Lipscombe, Kyra Dawson, Jason Wood, Wayne Owens and James Doble at Berwick College. 187521_01

By Rowan Forster

The iconic Les Twentyman Foundation now has a presence at both Pakenham and Berwick Secondary College, under a unique $1.5 million pilot.

It comes after a Federal Government inquiry, No one teaches you to become an Australian, revealed an urgent need for youth outreach workers in the region.

Recent “youth issues” in Melbourne’s south east have further exacerbated the issue.

Prolific activist Les Twentyman joined Latrobe MP Jason Wood and Berwick Secondary College on Thursday, 15 November to make the announcement.

“It’s been a concern of ours for a long time – that kids at school age are not in school during school hours,” he said.

“It’s an idea I came up as an ex school teacher, that a youth worker attached to the school could work with the student, his family and his community.

“If they’re at school, they’re not out getting into trouble.”

Mr Twentyman believes early intervention is the key.

“I was down in Cardinia a few years ago and the mayor was saying there was a high exit rate of students in that municipality,” he added.

“When kids don’t have an education it really puts them behind the eight-ball.”

The pilot, a first for Melbourne’s south east, will run for three years before it is reviewed by the Federal Government.

Mr Twentyman, who has been a youth worker for more than four decades, is confident the pilot will yield results within 12 months.

An outreach worker has been situated at Pakenham Secondary College for several weeks, while one will commence at Berwick Secondary College on Monday.

Acting principal of Berwick College James Doble said the school is eager to participate in the program.

“The wellbeing team is doing an amazing job, but they’re stretched,” he said.

“To have the Les Twentyman foundation come on board, it gives us the additional resource to outsource some of their responsibilities to ensure those kids are supported.”

The college’s student wellbeing coordinator, Kyra Dawson, believes the pilot will help many students.

“A big focus is looking at our young people who are starting off in those mild criminal behaviours and getting them back into an education, back into school and keeping them off the streets,” she said.

“It takes a village to raise these kids and parents can’t just do it on their own, and schools can’t just do it on their own.”

More than 2800 students are enrolled at Pakenham and Berwick, making them two of the region’s biggest schools.

Federal MP Jason Wood, who invited Mr Twentyman to Canberra to participate in the inquiry, said he was disappointed that the State Government refused to contribute to the pilot.

“I worked to get federal funding – it should normally be state funding, but the State Government didn’t come on board,” he said.

“The only disappointing thing is that we’re federally putting money into it, when it should already be a state program.

“The feedback I’ve had about this program is that this is the best youth engagement program in the country.”