Boys to the Bush secures boost for Future Pathways

Supporting our young men to build healthier masculinities and relationships has long been the focus of Boys to the Bush and in August they received grant funding from the state and federal governments to support their programs. Boys to the Bush received $172,032 from the federal government under the Local Jobs Local People Grant to support their Future Pathways Project, which is delivering intensive pre-employment support to young men across Forbes, Young and Dubbo. Workforce Australia Local Jobs is funded by the Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The not for profit also shared in $700,000 funding from the state government with BackTrack Youth Work. This funding from the state government will help Boys to the Bush continue to deliver their programs to young men and boys from the Forbes, Orange, Hilltops, Dubbo, Albury, Bathurst, Leeton and Wagga Wagga local government areas. Boys to the Bush area manager Peter Butcher said they are super excited and grateful to get the opportunity to continue working with the boys and focus on those at risk in the community. Federal member for Parkes, Jamie Chaffey, said these grants, which are part of the Local Jobs Program, are all about supporting the organisations that help connect people with work. “They fund activities that address local employment needs, help people get jobs or access training, and smooth the pathway for people to get meaningful employment,” he said. "These are important services that help regional people stay in regional areas." The future pathways project will be focusing on mentoring projects which will help prepare the boys for work, identify future work pathways and enable them to understand the opportunities available. "That will be done in a supported environment under the guidance of our Boys to the Bush mentors and linking in with the good people of our communities," Mr Butcher said. This program will run to June 2027 and mentoring will focus on what a day of work looks like, daily living skills, pre-employment work experience and access to short course training. "We're really excited to launch the future pathways program and continue it into the future," Mr Butcher said. As part of the project, there will be seven boys going through two terms of mentoring across the towns of Forbes, Young and Dubbo, with the access to training. This project will be joined by a trade focused camp, which will bring in boys from different regions which will provide some much-needed time away as well as exposure to different industries including construction and agriculture. Mr Butcher said they are grateful for the funding to come through as it allows them to continue to embed the key values of community engagement and respect in their boys. "it's going to give us the opportunity to continue providing these boys with a positive male role model and work on supporting healthy behaviours, respect for women, and what it looks like to be a good man in our community," he said. Member for Orange Phil Donato said Boys to the Bush have been mentoring boys for almost a decade across the Central West, with a track record for positively influencing the development of the next generation of regional men. “This announcement is welcomed, and it is an investment into advancing healthy and respectful relationships," he said. The Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Jodie Harrison echoed that sentiment saying the Boys to the Bush program encourages positive attitudes and normalises respectful relationships and healthy behaviours. "It’s critical that we include boys and men in our primary prevention work, support them to develop healthy attitudes towards gender equality, and recognise their important role in building communities free from violence," Ms Harrison said.