A new youth leadership program is set to give young people who are blind or have low vision the chance to build valuable employment skills.
Open to Vision Australia clients aged 14-17, the LEAP (Learn Engage Act Perform) program is designed to help participants develop skills that are vital when it comes to making the most of career opportunities.
“The teenage years are when people really start thinking about employment and their career goals and we want to make sure that our clients have the skills they need to realise those goals,” Tina Brunet, Vision Australia service designer – employment, said.
“LEAP is about building what we call ‘soft’ employment skills like self-confidence, communication and leadership. They might not necessarily be what people first think of when it comes to employment, but they’re vital when it comes to successfully participating in the workplace,” she said.
“We’ve heard from our clients that they believe they’re missing out on opportunities to develop these skills, which is why we’ve developed LEAP.”
As part of the LEAP program, participants will work with their Vision Australia primary service provider to identify areas for skill development and how that can be done.
Participants will also attend a leadership camp during midyear school holidays to connect with each other and share common experiences they have around things such as overcoming barriers and working to reach their potential.
The LEAP program is open to Vision Australia clients nationwide, however spaces are limited.
Anyone interested in the LEAP program should either speak to their Vision Australia PSP, or email [email protected] for further information.