‘Education is the soul of everything’: Trent and Carley pursue education with our Youth Foyers
Trent and Carley have overcome a range of challenges that threatened to disrupt their education, but have found support and a new focus through our Education First Youth Foyer program.
Mark Cox oversees our Youth Foyers program at the Brotherhood. ‘The foyers provide safe accommodation for young people aged 16 to 24 for up to two years while they study. Most are equipped and ready to move to private rental accommodation after that,’ he said.Trent is studying a Bachelor of Commerce and Carley is studying Year 12. At a recent Brotherhood event held at the historic Bishopscourt in Melbourne, Trent told Brotherhood supporters the Youth Foyer program is benefitting him in many ways.
‘The foyer has given me the opportunity to get settled and build some foundations to move ahead. I’m also learning how to budget and cook nutritious meals, and getting help to grow socially,’ he said. Carley also spoke about how the foyer has helped her physically and mentally, while allowing her to achieve her education goals. ‘We are all encouraged to pursue our education. Education is the soul of everything,’ she said.
We run Education First Youth Foyers in partnership with Launch Housing and local TAFEs in Melbourne – the Holmesglen Foyer in Glen Waverley and the Kangan Foyer in Broadmeadows. In Shepparton in northern Victoria we run the GOTAFE Foyer with Berry Street.
Each youth foyer houses 40 young people in customised studio-style accommodation and shared communal areas, supervised by trained staff around the clock. Support services on site include career guidance, employment assistance, mentoring, mental and physical health support, developing life skills and assistance with involvement in volunteer and community activities.