The role of community partnerships in nurturing and supporting career pathways is also considered in the paper, as are those elements that contribute to strengthening successful partnerships between schools and community stakeholders.
Informed by Relevant Research and Literature.
The discussion about what makes up sustainable and collaborative partnerships between schools and community services is not new. Over the past two decades, local and federal governments have attempted to bridge the gaps for young people who have limited access to the supportive structures needed to effectively transition into employment or further schooling pathways (Kirby 2000; Prime Minister's Youth Pathways Action Plan Taskforce2001; Dwyer et al. 1998; Stokes 2000; Bradshaw et al. 2001; Department of Premier and Cabinet [DPC] 2002; Heffernan et al. 2005; Department for Victorian Communities [DPCD] 2006). In its report, titled Pathways to Prevention (1999), the National Crime Prevention Council outlined the need to integrate protective factors that facilitate young people's ability to achieve and succeed. According to the original service framework the role of safeguarding young people was not the responsibility of a single community or a single school. Rather, it was a shared responsibility that required the involvement of a range of individuals who, as a collective, shared a desire to enact supportive structures that lead young people to financial and emotional stability. The benefits of a unified front when addressing the complex needs of young people is addressed as such: There is growing recognition that the task of supporting young people is not the responsibility of schools alone; it is a 'whole of community' responsibility, including the contribution of parents, teachers and community-based service providers. Where school communities and service providers are able to establish effective partnerships, there is a much greater chance of developing comprehensive, integrated responses to the needs of young people.