Central Ranges LLEN 2024 AGM: A Morning of Insight and Celebration
Our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on May 17th at Club Mandalay, Beveridge, was a great success. We brought together members, local leaders and supporters to discuss the future of skills, jobs and youth talent retention in our region.
Our Chair, Sue Marstaeller, warmly welcomed everyone, setting the tone for the day. Martin Collins from the Victorian Skills Authority discussed "Future Skills and Future Jobs in Our Three Shires," highlighting the need for ongoing education and specialisation. "Education cannot be a ‘one and done’, we need to continue education and specialisation throughout our careers," he emphasised.
Buffy Leadbeater, alongside the Youth Team from Mitchell Shire Council, addressed the crucial topic of retaining local talent. Their presentation shed light on strategies and initiatives to keep our young talent within the region, a topic of great relevance and importance
Project Ready
Students from Sunbury Macedon Ranges Specialist School’s Project Ready program shared their experiences. Chelsea said, "When people ask what Project Ready is, it’s a no-brainer - we’re a family." She also mentioned, "Our facilitators are different and they encourage us to embrace our differences," and "Some days, I don’t want to go home."
Elyse highlighted, "Project Ready means you gain confidence to achieve your goals," while Joshua added, "Project Ready is teaching young Victorians about giving back and being kind." When asked if they would recommend Project Ready, Chelsea responded with “100%,” Joshua with “1000%,” and Wendy Hopkins (Youth Facilitator and Project Ready Trainer) humorously noted, “We don’t teach maths at Project Ready.”
Christine Cox Trailblazer Award
A significant highlight of the AGM was the announcement of the Christine Cox Trailblazer Award winners. We congratulated Kyneton Community House & Social Foundry (award accepted by Claire Rawlinson) and Madison Whiteman from GOTAFE. Their contributions and dedication to the community are truly inspiring.
Acknowledgements and Looking Ahead
We express our deepest gratitude to everyone who attended and contributed to making the AGM a memorable event. Special thanks to Buffy Leadbeater and the Mitchell Youth Services team for their invaluable insights from their recent youth survey and to Martin Collins for his forward-looking presentation on workforce skills.
A huge shoutout to our Project Ready students for their engaging presentations. Your stories and experiences are a testament to the success and importance of the Project Ready program.
Our 2023 annual report is now finalised and available for viewing. We invite everyone to review it and see the collective impact we have made over the past year.
Download and View Presentations
We are pleased to provide the presentations from the AGM for download. Click the links below to access each presentation:
Future Workforce Needs - Martin Collins, Victorian Skills Authority [2.7MB]
Mitchell Growth and Change - Buffy Leadbeater, Mitchell Shire Council [7MB]
Project Ready - Sunbury Macedon Ranges Specialist School {1MB]
For those interested in becoming a member of Central Ranges LLEN, please reach out to us at officemanager@centralrangesllen.org.au
Thank you to all our partners, sponsors and community members. Together, we are making a significant difference in the lives of young people across our shires. Here are a few photos to relive the day’s moments of reflection and celebration.
