$12 Return for Every Government dollar Invested: CRLLEN Celebrates Its Achievements at the 24th AGM

On Tuesday 26 May, Central Ranges LLEN held its 24th Annual General Meeting at The Victoria Hotel in Woodend. Partners, members, educators, industry representatives and community supporters gathered to mark the close of 2025 and look ahead.

CEO Nicky Leitch opened with an Acknowledgement of Country, paying respects to the Dja Dja Wurrung Peoples as the traditional owners of the land on which the meeting was held, and recognising the shared significance of the area for the Taungarung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples. CRLLEN remains committed to working in solidarity with First Nations communities, supporting Victoria's treaty and truth-telling journey, and uplifting Aboriginal young people as leaders in our schools and communities.

The AGM formally launched two documents: the 2025 Annual Report and our first ever Momentum 2023-2025 Impact Report. Three guest speakers gave the room a look at workforce trends and local youth services. And the community awards drew the strongest nominations field we have seen.

The Year That Was

The 2025 Annual Report, formally accepted at the AGM, documents a strong year across every measure. Watch our Year in Review to see it come to life. Central Ranges LLEN delivered 36 career and pathway activities, engaged more than 2,000 young people, and worked alongside 147 industry partners. We facilitated 181 work placements and supported 275 students through the VET Transport Fund across Lower Hume and the Sunbury Macedon Ranges.

Highlights from the year included the Seymour Careers and Jobs Expo, the launch of the Sunbury Macedon Ranges VET Cluster, two Women in Trades taster programs that gave young women hands-on experience in building and early childhood, and the ninth consecutive year of Project Ready. Board Chair Faye D'Helin reflected on what all of that adds up to:

“The work of Central Ranges LLEN is not just about providing immediate opportunities for young people but also laying the foundation for long-term economic growth and social cohesion in our local communities. By supporting young people to discover their aspirations and uncover their capabilities, LLENs are helping create a brighter future for individuals and communities alike.
”

— Faye D'Helin, Board Chair

Download the 2025 Annual Report

**Momentum 2023-2025: Three Years of Impact**

Also launched at the AGM was Momentum Report. Covering three years of government-verified delivery and puts clear numbers to what this organisation achieves.
In Australia, 239,200 young people aged 15-24 are not in education, employment or training. The annual economic cost for each of those young people is estimated at $30,702. Quality school-to-work programs reduce that disengagement risk by up to 8%. This is the context in which CRLLEN operates, and the Momentum report documents exactly what that work has delivered.
For every $1 the Department of Education invested in CRLLEN across the reporting period, we generated over $12 in measurable value. Every government KPI was exceeded at 120% of target, not self-reported, but verified through the Department's own reporting framework. Achieved by a team of 3.2 FTE working across 14 schools, 3 local government areas and 8,487 square kilometres of regional Victoria.
482 structured workplace learning placements were facilitated between 2023 and 2025. More than 568 students were supported through the VET Transport Fund. One in four secondary students enrolled across our region engaged with CRLLEN programs. A 10-year partnership with Ventia placed over 1,000 students. 147 active industry partners across mining, agriculture, trades, health and construction: relationships that took more than 20 years to build.
James Sorahan, Executive Director of MCA Victoria, put it well:
“It was fantastic to have eager students from the region visit modern mining operations to learn about the world of mining careers. The LLEN has been very supportive of this industry-led career program, giving regional Victorian students the chance to meet employees in their workplaces.”
**James Sorahan, Executive Director, MCA Victoria**

Nicky reflected on the significance of pausing to document the work:
***“We often don't take time to pause and reflect, but I think it is important to look back, learn and grow as we move forward. A $12 return on investment is pretty efficient from our perspective.”***
**Nicky Leitch, CEO**

The report also makes the case for continuity. The industry networks, the trust built with schools, the local knowledge accumulated over years: these are not things that can be stood up quickly by a new provider. They are the product of sustained, consistent effort.

download momentum 2023-2025 impact report

Guest Speakers

The program included three guest speakers, each bringing a different and useful perspective on the environment our young people are navigating.

Isabel Venables, Coordinator Community Development and Youth, Macedon Ranges Shire Council

Isabel introduced the MRSC Youth Services team, which operates across two streams: youth engagement, delivering spaces, programs and initiatives across the municipality; and youth mental health, running evidence-based programs in primary and secondary schools.

The centrepiece of her presentation was the 2026 Youth Summit, a broad-spectrum consultation designed to hear directly from young people across the Macedon Ranges about what matters to them. The findings which covered physical health, mental health, transport, environment, careers, education and more, are shaping MRSC's programming priorities and informing a new Youth Council currently in development. The Youth Council will give young people in the Macedon Ranges a formal mechanism to influence policies, services and community planning on an ongoing basis.

Bob Elkington, Coordinator Economic Development, Macedon Ranges Shire Council

Bob presented economic and workforce data for the Macedon Ranges. The shire has approximately 51,738 residents, with construction, health and social assistance, and professional services among the largest employing sectors. The visitor economy was highlighted as a significant area of activity, with around 699 tourism businesses operating across the shire across hospitality, accommodation, attractions and events.

Bob also spoke to the future of work, noting that with AI and rapid technological change reshaping many industries, the attributes most likely to serve young people well are flexibility, adaptability, problem-solving and an enquiring mind, exactly what programs like CRLLEN's are built to develop.

Kate Storer, Regional and Metro Engagement, Victorian Skills Authority

Kate walked the room through the Victorian Skills Authority's role in connecting training delivery to workforce need, and shared the latest regional projections from the 2025 Victorian Skills Plan. The figures are directly relevant to CRLLEN's region: around 10,000 new workers are expected to enter the Loddon Campaspe region between 2025 and 2028, led by health care and social assistance (3,200), construction (1,600) and education and training (1,000). For Goulburn, 4,900 new workers are projected over the same period.

Kate also demonstrated the VSA's Employment Projections Dashboard, a free publicly available tool covering 350+ occupations, 19 industries and 15 regions across Victoria. It provides workforce demand data, median wages, qualification requirements and career pathway information, making it a practical resource for schools, careers practitioners and employers.

Fact sheets for students and families: vic.gov.au/victorian-skills-plan-2025-2026-fact-sheets. Employment Projections Dashboard: skills.vic.gov.au

Community Awards

This year's nominations were the strongest received to date, with nine people put forward across the two awards. All nominees were acknowledged on the day with certificates of recognition. We were proud to celebrate their work publicly.

The room also took a moment to recognise CRLLEN volunteer Deb Wright, acknowledged during Volunteer Week for her ongoing and significant contribution to the organisation.