The program assists participants to overcome the barriers preventing them from engaging in education, training and employment and provides support into further study or employment pathways.
Who can access Reconnect?
Learners referred to Reconnect must be:
- young people aged between 17 and 19 years not engaged in education or training for 6 months or more (less than 8 hours per week)
- mature participants aged between 20 and 64 years, unemployed for 6 months or more (less than 8 hours per week) and not engaged in education or training for 6 months or more (less than 8 hours per week)
- youth justice: young people (17 to 24 years of age) who have been, or are currently on, Youth Justice Orders
- asylum seekers – individuals or dependents of individuals who meet the following criteria:
- hold any humanitarian, protection of refugee visa in Australia, or
- have applied for a humanitarian, protection or refugee visa and hold a bridging visa for this purpose, or
- have made an application under s.417 or s.48b of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) which is yet to be determined and hold a bridging visa.
- out-of-home care: a person aged 17 to 64 who has a current or previous care experience
- other: from time to time, the department may approve the accommodation of additional target groups during the term of the program (for example, this may include groups such as people impacted by bushfires, COVID-19 or retrenched workers etc.).
Support for learners
The Reconnect program is intended to improve a person’s chance of breaking the cycle of disadvantage by creating equity, improving access and increasing choice in pathways through education and employment.
The program is funded to support over 1,700 participants each year by providing wrap-around supports and interventions that aim to address non-vocational barriers that impact on their ability to reach their participation potential. Reconnect providers can offer a range of supports which may include:
- counselling and mentoring
- housing and accommodation services referral
- mental health support referral
- foundation skills
- employability skills
- careers information, planning and advice.
Reconnecting Victorians with educational and employment opportunities
As part of the Reconnect program, Reconnect providers (select TAFEs, Learn Locals and Community Service Organisations):
- undertake outreach and engagement activities to locate, engage and attract disengaged people experiencing disadvantage back into a learning environment
- assess the learning and non-learning needs of Reconnect participants and develop an agreed learning plan to transition participants to further training or employment
- coordinate and provide access to support services that help participants start and stay in training.
- design and support a pathway out of the program into further training, study or employment.
Reconnect program guidelines
List of providers
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Local government areas of delivery
- Mornington Peninsula
Contact details
Telephone: 0439 547 615
Email: reconnect@advance.vic.edu.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Brimbank
- Melton
- Maribyrnong
- Casey
- Greater Dandenong
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9396 1922
Email: training@avwa.org.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Hume
- Greater Bendigo
- Campaspe
- Macedon Ranges
- Mount Alexander
- Loddon
- Central Goldfields
Contact details
Telephone: 1300 327 328
Email: jmcclimont@kangan.edu.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Ballarat City
- Golden Plains Shire
- Moorabool Shire
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 5333 8600
Email: deanne@bgt.org.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Whitehorse
- Melbourne City
- Port Phillip
- Knox
- Yarra Ranges
- Boroondara
Contact details
Telephone: 0466 795 391
Email: reconnect@boxhill.edu.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Wyndham City
- Melton City
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9340 3785
Email: jsmith@cmy.net.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Greater Dandenong
- Casey
- Frankston
- Cardinia Shire
- Mornington
- Bass Coast
Contact details
Telephone: 1300 517 459
Email: reconnect@chisholm.edu.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Yarra Ranges
- Maroondah
- Cardinia
Contact details
Telephone: 1300 835 235
Email: reconnect@cire.org.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Surf Coast
- Greater Geelong
- Golden Plains
- Colac Otway
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 5260 6000 (Geelong Cultura Northern Hub)
Telephone: 0447 624 145 (Colac)Email: reconnect@diversitat.org.au/reconnectcolac@diversitat.org.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Nillumbik
- Whittlesea
- Hume
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9435 9060
Email: reconnect@dvlc.org.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Melton
- Brimbank
- Moorabool
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 8746 1000
Email: pathways@djerriwarrh.org
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Local government areas of delivery
- Melbourne City
- Yarra
- Darebin
- Stonnington
- Port Phillip
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9473 1111
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Local government areas of delivery
- Ballarat
- Horsham
- Pyrenees Shire
- Ararat
- Hepburn
- Hindmarsh
- West Wimmera
- Yarriambiack
- Northern Grampians
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 5327 8110
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Local government areas of delivery
- Latrobe
- Baw Baw
- East Gippsland
- South Gippsland
- Wellington
- Bass Coast
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 5127 4544
Email: reconnect@gest.com.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Greater Shepparton
- Wangaratta Rural
- Mitchell
- Benalla
- Moira
Contact details
Telephone: 1300 468 233
Email: reconnect@gotafe.vic.edu.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Glen Eira
- Stonnington
- Bayside
- Monash
- Kingston
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9564 2762
Email: reconnect@holmesglen.edu.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Greater Dandenong
- Frankston
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9415 8700
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Local government areas of delivery
- Hume
- Whittlesea
- Casey
- Monash
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9326 0322 / 0447 065 326
Email: kristy.lilly@jobco.com.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Brimbank
- Hume
- Whittlesea
- Banyule
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9367 6044
Email: peter@mrcnorthwest.org.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Knox
- Yarra Ranges
- Cardinia
- Maroondah
- Greater Dandenong
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9758 5859
Email: racheale@mdlc.org.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Swan Hill Rural
- Gannawarra Shire
- Buloke
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 5032 3719
Email: training@macesh.vic.edu.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Darebin
- Whittlesea
- Mitchell
- Banyule
- Nillumbik
- Moreland
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9462 6077
Email: apugliese@prace.vic.edu.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Warrnambool
- Southern Grampians
- Glenelg
- Corangamite
- Moyne
Contact details
Telephone: 1300 648 911
Email: reconnect@swtafe.edu.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Mildura
- Swan Hill
- Gannawarra
- Buloke
Contact details
Telephone: 1300 478 648
Email: reconnect@sunitafe.edu.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Latrobe
- Wellington
- Baw Baw
- East Gippsland
- South Gippsland
Contact details
Telephone: 0419 491 514
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Local government areas of delivery
- Wangaratta
- Benalla
- Mitchell
- Mansfield
- Strathbogie
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 5721 0200
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Local government areas of delivery
- Brimbank
- Wyndham
- Melton
- Maribyrnong
- Hobsons Bay
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9689 3437
Email: skillsreconnect@wcig.org.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Moonee Valley
- Melbourne
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9212 0236
Email: admin@wingateave.com.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Wodonga Shire
- Towong
- Indigo
- Alpine
Contact details
Telephone: 1300 698 233
Email: reconnect@wodongatafe.edu.au
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Local government areas of delivery
- Wyndham
- Hobsons Bay
Contact details
Telephone: (03) 9742 4013
Email: enquiries@wyndhamcec.org.au
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Funding
The Victorian Government has invested a further $47 million over the next 4 years for the Reconnect Program 2021. Previous funding arrangements saw the Government invest $30 million across the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 financial years, on top of the initial $20 million funding in 2017 and the $14 million Reconnect Engagement and Learner Support (REALS) Grant pilot program, funded in 2016.
Contact
To find out more, contact reconnect.program@djsir.vic.gov.au.
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Contact email: learner.pathways@djsir.vic.gov.au
Contact number: (03) 8656 0448
Reviewed 26 September 2023