This report presents the results of an evaluation of the Partnership Outreach Education Model (POEM) pilot project. The pilot was designed to test new ways of engaging young people who have become disconnected from mainstream education, and often their families and communities as well. Approximately two-thirds of the projects focused primarily on disconnected youth, while the remaining third concentrated on engaging ‘at risk’ participants. These included Indigenous students, young people who were homeless, had a disability, experienced mental health problems, were young parents, had substance misuse problems, or were involved with juvenile justice. Many of these were chronic truants or not enrolled in school. The POEM projects provided these people with learning opportunities that enabled them to gain recognised qualifications in alternative, youth-friendly settings. In addition to educational skills, POEM also provided opportunities to develop life skills and social skills. Individually-tailored Learning Pathways Plans and coordination with other service providers offering adult education, apprenticeships, traineeships, employment-seeking skills and drug and alcohol treatment, helped to put many young people otherwise marginalised back on track, in ways and in settings in which they could cope.
A number of elements contributed to the success of the pilots. Attracting multi-disciplinary staff with the ability to empathise with young people and meet their needs, and the use of flexible adult learning principles, are perhaps the biggest factors to successful re-engagement. The individualised learning plans POEM has been able to offer have also helped to retain and encourage young people. The establishment of community partnerships with organisations and individuals involved in youth support and education, and a passionate interest in the welfare of young people, has also assisted in helping along the transition from education to employment or further training. Finally, the POEM projects have had success in developing resilience, building self-esteem and providing the young participants with opportunities to take responsibility for their behaviours and their life planning.