About

To create partnerships between industry, education and the community that develop positive futures for our young people.

Goal 1

a.  To improve the participation of vulnerable young people and their families in education

b.  To increase the re-engagement of young people into programs leading to credentials

Goal 2

To increase our schools’ engagement with stakeholders in their community to improve students’ aspirations, education and transition outcomes

Goal 3

To remain a sustainable, innovative and responsive organisation, focused on key outcomes

Local Learning and Employment Networks (LLENs) are a key initiative of the Victorian Government.
There are 31 LLENs, set up as independent incorporated associations, covering all areas of the State of Victoria. They were established during 2001 – 2002 bringing together the expertise and experience of:

• Local Education and Training providers
• Business and Industry
• Community Organisations and Individuals
• Parents and Families
• Government Agencies.

LLENs support Victoria’s young people to complete Year 12 or its equivalent – including apprenticeships, traineeships or vocational training. LLENs have a particular focus on supporting those young people who are at risk of disengaging, or who have already disengaged from education and training and are not in meaningful employment.

• The WSMLLEN incorporates the City of Horsham and the Shires of Yarriambiack, Hindmarsh and West Wimmera
• There are some 36,500 people residing in the region with 12 Secondary Colleges, one TAFE campus and three Registered Training Organisations
• Wimmera Southern Mallee LLEN has 115 members
• The organisation is governed by a Committee of Management (COM)
• Members of the Committee include CEOs and senior organisational and business managers from all sectors. These passionate, committed and skilled people volunteer their time and expertise to improve the lives of young people throughout the region
• The Committee is drawn from a wide range of sectors including local Business & Industry, Education & Training providers, Community groups and Local Government
• There are 4826 young people aged 10 – 19 years old in the WSMLLEN area (ABS Census Data 2011)
• In 2011, there were 2703 students enrolled in Secondary Schools in the WSMLLEN area
• The WSMLLEN brokers partnerships to support schools and to improve the retention of young people in education
• The WSMLLEN delivers the Workplace Learning Coordinator’s Program (assists schools and employers with work experience, Structured Workplace Learning and School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships)

The following partnerships have been established by the WSMLLEN and are working towards the achievement of our Strategic Goals. The WSMLLEN has brokered these partnerships. These partnerships would not exist without the LLEN.

Community Action Networks

The Community Action Networks (CANs) bring together representatives from education, training, employment, local government, the Police, health and youth support service sectors to support young people who are “at risk” or have disengaged from school and are not currently engaged in further training or meaningful employment. CANs have been established in the Horsham, Koorie, Warracknabeal, Nhill, Murtoa, Edenhope and Dimboola communities.

MATES Mentoring Programs

The MATES mentoring programs are Partnerships between the schools, parents and families, the community, local business, and the WSMLLEN.
Eighteen programs are successfully implemented in the region from 2011 to the present, with over 300 young people having been mentored by volunteer community members through these programs.

MATES Reading Buddies Program

The MATES Reading Buddies Program provides volunteer adults to listen to students from P-6 read at the child’s school. Volunteers listen to children read one-on-one on a regular basis in a local primary school. reading Buddies programs have been established in Horsham, Tempy, Kaniva, Warracknabeal, Apsley, Yaapeet, Woomelang, Edenhope and Nhill.

Hands On Learning

Hands On Learning is an innovative education program that caters to the different ways young people learn. Two artisan-teachers work collaboratively with small groups of cross-age students on authentic building projects that provide a platform for students to engage, grow confidence and achieve success at school.

Hands On Learning fosters strong, long term relationships that help young people develop the skills and abilities they need to succeed in work and life-like collaboration, problem solving, communication, resilience and empathy.

Hands On Learning programs have been established in Hopetoun, Horsham, Murtoa, Rainbow and Warracknabeal.

KOOKAS Club (Koorie Kids After School)

The KOOKAS Club provides after-school learning activities for Koorie students in Horsham. The aim is to raise the educational and career aspirations of in the early years to improve education outcomes for Koorie students.

Wimmera Mallee Sports Mentoring Program

The Wimmera Southern Mallee Sports Mentoring Program provides support for youth across the region to enable them to participate in junior sports programs to build social connections and remove barriers to successful transition to secondary school.

Horsham Primary School – Rasmussen Campus Swimming Program

The Horsham Primary School Swimming program supports students at Horsham Primary School to participate in a program to build social inclusion and remove barriers to successful transition to secondary college.

Let’s Read

Let’s Read is a whole-of-community approach to supporting parents and families with early literacy development. The program brings together community organisations to provide resources and support which is delivered through local Infant Welfare Centres. The Let’s Read Program has been established across all 4 shires in the Wimmera Southern Mallee region

WSMLLEN participates in these partnerships and networks to enhance collaboration, improve education and life outcomes for our young people and to facilitate and support the achievement of our Strategic Goals:

• Grampians Secondary School Principals’ Network (VASSP)
•  Wimmera Primary Care Partnership
• Workforce Forum – Wimmera Southern Mallee Regional Strategic Plan – Education & Training Working Group
• Wimmera Careers Expo Steering Committee
• Wimmera Southern Mallee VCAL Network cluster
• Wimmera Southern Mallee VET cluster
• Wimmera and Southern Mallee Careers Association
• Wimmera Southern Mallee Crime Prevention Reference group
• Murtoa College Alternative Pathways program (est. 2011)
• Wimmera Drug Action Taskforce – Schools and Youth Working Group
• Wurreker Broker Regional Committee
• Partnership Brokers State Providers Network
• Western Region LLEN network
• ACFE Regional Council

LLENs have intimate knowledge and stakeholder relationships across community, education and welfare sectors. LLENs are an independent broker and the LLEN established partnerships provide targeted, effective and efficient delivery of programs to support all young people with a focus on vulnerable and ‘at risk’ young people.

The LLENs are the only organisation that regularly brings together schools, community, parents and families, business and industry and community to coordinate and integrate cross-sectoral support for young people. LLENs provide schools and young people with ‘whole of community’ support.

Our core business is to increase retention and attainment rates of our young people. The LLENs have been operating for 12 years and are widely acknowledged as national leaders in brokering partnerships. The LLENs’ knowledge, expertise, networks and capacity are unique assets that are invaluable in supporting the achievement of the Government’s objectives. LLENs ensure a consistent area-based approach to policy and program design and implementation.

The WSMLLEN Committee of Management provides a wealth of local knowledge, skills and experience from all sectors to underpin the strategic planning, governance and direction of the organisation. The WSMLLEN IS backed by 135 members who have an interest and stake in improving the education and life outcomes of our youth.

WSMLLEN is managed and staffed by local community members. LLENs are part of the community and have an intimate knowledge of the wide range of socio-economic factors impacting on the local community. The WSMLLEN provides local solutions for local challenges, using local business and community resources.

LLENs are established organisations. Committees of Management have high levels of voluntary representation from key organisations across each region. Committees include CEOs, Principals, business managers, and senior managers from education, local business and industry, training, welfare and community organisations.

LLENs have experienced staff, excellent networks, established relationships and partnerships and a proven track record over 12 years. It would be a great loss to our young people if the investment in LLENs by the state and federal governments and the community was lost.

LLENs improve program and partnership productivity and efficiency by bringing together stakeholders to make the best use of available resources. The coordination and integration of partners’ resources optimises results and minimises duplication and waste.