from yaprap April-May 2011
BackTrack, a youth program based in Armidale, northern NSW, comprises a set of philosophies that seek to improve the wellbeing of young people, especially young people who are having a hard time.
The BackTrack principles and methodologies have particular relevance to rural communities where skills shortage, unemployment and disadvantage can be the greatest. The vision is to create awareness in the community that recognises those young people who are not going well in its systems, understands the need to provide elements in those people's lives that are not automatically there and acts to support approaches to maximise these young people's experiences, productivity and wellbeing.
In communities there are always young people who have greater disadvantage than the mainstream, due to drug and alcohol issues, race, homelessness or socio-economic circumstance. The BackTrack belief is that through alternative engagement and education techniques, many of these young people can achieve full employment, training or education outcomes and thus improve the overall quality of community life.
BackTrack programs differ from other programs designed to cater for this demographic in that there is a unique process of engagement. Young people can check into the shed even if their intensive time has ended if they need some support. It is a requirement of their participation that they remain in some sort of educational or vocational activity, and the reason this is successful is because they want to be a part of BackTrack. The young people experience the regular mentoring and personal development missing from their lives but in return are asked to take on certain responsibilities and make a contribution. BackTrack becomes a family for the boys and provides the security of a sense of belonging as well as a sense of obligation.
Iron Man Welders has developed a fully operational welding workshop. Through state government grants and financial and material support from community and local business and industry, the workshop has been equipped and upgraded to training standard. Several employers now have a preference for taking on the work-ready young Iron Man Welder graduates as apprentices or trainees.
Paws Up (initially funded by University of Western Sydney) engages young people, the majority of whom are Aboriginal, in working dog training on the principle that the boys learn self-discipline while disciplining the dogs. The program has developed a dog jumping unit which travels to local shows and not long ago took out the Australian elite working dog, dog jumping championship in Victoria. Participants learn self-confidence from successful public performance, communication skills because of the public interest in their expertise and an ability to manage the dogs in varying situations. This year the Paws Up team will perform for the first time at the Sydney Royal Easter Show for 7 days.
AgLads Recently an agent at the Guyra saleyards asked the Paws Up boys to help out with their dogs on a sale day and their performance impressed the other local agents present who also asked for help on the day. This built on the interest of farmers at local shows looking for contract labour for intensive jobs such as fencing, harvesting, haymaking, mustering, drenching etc. The boys have already begun work experience and on the job training on local farms as well as undertaking a Rural Skills certificate course at TAFE. The intention, once they have completed their training, is for the graduates to form teams with a supervisor to undertake this work on farms in the area.
Imagine This The Girls Program has just started, driven by teachers at Armidale High School who are looking for equivalent programs for girls in a similar demographic to those offered to the boys.
A perspective on Backtrack
Peter Slattery, a youth therapist/educator in Sydney, calls BackTrack "stand-out youth work" , so yaprap invited him to comment on what makes it work so well.
I do think Bernie does have his own individual, respectful, engaging, challenging and interesting style. Yet beyond this, I also think there are lessons to be learned and principles to be identified from his work that go beyond who he is as an individual. And I think we can pay attention to these and create other projects/events/programmes that embrace these ideas, principle and guidelines.
Motivation: For something to be ‘motivating’ it needs to be interesting, it needs to be meaningful, it needs to make some sort of a difference to those involved and those exposed to it, it needs to be challenging and it needs to include choice. Backtrack has all these ingredients.
Resilience: People flourish when they feel they are doing something worthwhile, something that has purpose; when they feel part of something, when they feel connected to it; when they feel like they can actively participate in what is going on, when they have worthwhile relationships within what they are doing, when what they do enhances their sense of identify and self and when they have some control over what they do. Again Bernie’s projects have all these ingredients.
Rules? Young boys in particular seem to do well when they have clear guidelines/ boundaries … whatever we want to call these things. When I ask the boys in PAWSUP and IRONMAN welding if there are any rules, they always say ‘no, not really.’ But what I notice is a constant discussion about how everyone is doing, how to treat each other, and how to act and speak…for example, stopping along the road on the way to a gig in Tamworth and asking how everyone is: ‘from 1 to 5?’ And asking: ‘What do we do if anyone is a 1?’ And the chorus is: ‘Leave them the fuck alone.’ And then as we approach town there is the quiet reminder: ‘Okay, town language.’ And all the F and C words just stop.
Built in principles. Communication, getting along, looking for the best, are all aspects of PAWSUP. All the principles for a good and respectful life are built into the programme, how the boys approach the dogs, look for the best in them, care for them, help them jump high, look after them if they don’t make the jumps. Same with the welding shed, constant collaboration about how to build a gate, weld a logo for a shed, design a bench. The principles of living well are built into the experience…AND as well….
Extending the learning. I think it is possible for young people to have a great time in a project/event and then walk out and do a break and enter or punch someone. Having fun isn’t enough and excellence, membership and interest aren’t enough to make a worthwhile youth programme. So Bernie asks the boys: you see the way that dog jumped? What did you do to get the best out of that fella? And how did you feel when you did? What do you need to do to get the best out of your teachers? Out of yourself? Constant learning, and ‘discussion’ beyond the obvious is built into the process.
Boundaries. Bernie manages to break what for others would be set rules, and yet keep it all in order. I am met at the airport by one of the boys driving Bernie’s truck. Many of the boys have been to his home, know his family, play with his dogs, ride his horses…and it all seems okay. These are things that for many workers, and in many settings, would be crossing boundaries. Muddling up professional and personal. And I would agree. This is tricky territory. But Bernie lives in a country town, as a whitefella works with a high percentage of indigenous young people, and is known, trusted and supported by the families of the young people he works with. Bernie seems to have this delicate balance well sorted.
Big brother system. Bernie is constantly bringing the older boys into the process of looking after, guiding, discussing with and mentoring the younger boys. And this works well. It takes the load off Bernie, it increases the responsibility and sense of responsibility of the older boys, it develops relationships between the boys independently of Bernie, and it gives everyone a more meaningful sense of what is expected of them, and a deeper sense of connection with the overall programme.
Always a place. Bernie says that the boys can choose to stay or they can choose to go. At no time do they get kicked off the programme. This doesn’t mean boys pop in and out as they please. But it does mean that a boy might, for whatever reason, need to be part of the Welding Shed or PAWSUP for a while, then need to be absent for a while. And then return. With discussion, this is fine. Which means there is always an open invitation, always a sense of unbroken connection and belonging on hand; always a welcome.
- www.peterslattery.com
More information
BackTrack
- (02) 6771 3577
- Bernie Shakeshaft, BackTrack Manager bernie.shakeshaft@jobsaustralia.com.au
- ABC TV Stateline story: www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/02/18/3143084.htm