Coalition promises to extend Armidale's BackTrack across the North West to Moree and to Central West

Gunnedah-based education minister Sarah Mitchell said - should the government be re-elected - they will be looking at ways to expand the Armidale-based BackTrack program into other parts of the state including Moree and Dubbo.

Marcus Watson, executive manager at BackTrack, said the organisation has been supporting young people who have "fallen through the cracks" in the Armidale region to "chase their dreams" and find independence for 15 years.

"It's about helping young people who are having a tough time. That's young people who have fallen out of the school system, they don't have a job, may not have accommodation and may be wound up in the criminal justice system," Mr Watson explained.

READ ALSO:

"BackTrack creates a place of safety and belonging where these young people can create another start line and get going again. We operate a holistic model where they can get everything from a referral to a home, an education and support into a job."

In 2020, the state government commenced a pilot which funded the integration of a full-time Department of Education qualified teacher into BackTrack's programs to map their activities and outcomes against the NSW school curriculum.

Ms Mitchell said the government is looking to expand the teacher program to Dubbo in a partnership between BackTrack and local organisation LeaderLife.

"We'll be bringing on four additional teachers and two learning support officers to cover Dubbo, Broken Hill, Lake Cargelligo, Moree and Armidale. Right here in Dubbo, they'll be benefitting from a full time teacher and full time learning support officer," she said.

"It's really about recognising that for some kids traditional schooling isn't working.

"And if we can find ways to support them with their learning, and the other amazing activities that organisations like these do, give them opportunities for further career pathways and further study, that's exactly what we want to be doing."

She said the program has been "highly successful" in Armidale and hopes it will see the same success in other places.

"For a lot of children, coming to be involved in programs like BackTrack and their affiliated organisations like Leaderlife run can really make a big difference for these young people," she said.

"This is about investing in them and making sure they have access to qualified teachers."

Joh Leader, founder of LeaderLife, said she was excited about the partnership.

"We've been working on this for a really long time. It's all about giving some precious opportunities to some amazing kids and having BackTrack in our camp," she said.

"They're one of the leaders in alternative hands-on education for young people having a hard time - we're excited to be guided by their best practice that they've been working on for a long time now.

"It'd be hard to find someone who doesn't think it's important for kids to be getting a quality education and one that's meaningful and helps them transition into a complex adult world."

She said having a Department of Education-funded teacher on hand at LeaderLife would be a "piece of the puzzle" to ensuring the youth they work with are educated well.

"The trajectory of children who are not educated is pretty grim for some of them. They might go down a criminal path or a complex mental health path. All the research and frontline work shows while our kids are learning that's when they can come into the world thriving," Ms Leader said.

Should it win the election, the government hopes to roll out the expanded program by late 2023.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: