I’ve been working as a teacher for many years. I’m currently a Vocational Education Teacher at Seaford 6-12 School in Noarlunga, South Australia. I got into teaching because I believe teachers have a fabulous opportunity to influence a young person at a crucial stage of their life and to inspire them to achieve their goals.

However, in every school there are students who struggle more than others and are disengaged. They’re the students who for example, don’t fit the conventional classroom setting and find ways to avoid school because it’s the last place they want to be.

As teachers, we’d love to have the time to work more closely with this group of students so they get the most out of their education. Unfortunately the reality can be limitations on resources and funding that prohibit us from achieving the desired outcome.

In 2010 I was approached by CRS Australia, a disability employment services provider, with a proposal to help students with a health condition or other issues in their life receive support to transition from school to work.

The program was described as flexible and tailored to the needs of the school and its students. CRS Australia’s allied health and employment professionals would work closely with the students one-on-one and update the school regularly on their progress. It sounded great.

We identified some students that fit the eligibility criteria. On the first day of the program, CRS Australia met with them and discussed their situation, barriers and goals one-on-one. This was a tremendous start – the students responded positively to the attention; they liked that someone was taking the time to listen and care.

One of these students was Saxon. He didn’t have an interest in academic subjects and didn’t like the formal setting of a classroom. He wasn’t a happy student and was becoming more disconnected with school and wanted to leave.

Saxon wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, which isn’t uncommon for young students. His CRS Australia consultant worked closely with him to identify his interests and skills, work on some personal issues he faced, and set some job goals. His parents and teachers were also included in discussions.

CRS Australia has links to local employers and Saxon was put into work experience at a landscaping and horticulture company within the first weeks of the program. This was a great way for him to test out his skills and interest in that kind of work.

Saxon loved it. His employer noticed his motivation and potential and employed him one week into work experience! The opportunity has opened more doors and he’s studying to get a Certificate III in Horticulture.

The success of the CRS Australia program has been tremendous for these students. You can see it physically in how they carry themselves, and you can see it with their goals and purposes in life because now they have a goal and a drive to achieve it.

For my school, CRS Australia has filled a gap we couldn’t fill. CRS Australia has taken on a group of students who could have fallen through the cracks and helped them get on track and transition into work.

To find out how CRS Australia can help your students, contact your local office on 1800 277 277, or visit www.crsaustralia.gov.au/youth