By providing young people with the opportunity to acquire their mandatory driving hours required for a probationary licence, young people in Colac are subsequently given more opportunities for employment and social participation.
Thanks to your donations, a $6,500 grant allows Community Hub to provide the L2P Program. Learner drivers aged 16-21 years are paired with a fully-licensed community member who acts as a supervising driver. Working towards gaining the requirement of 120 hours of driving experience, most learner and their mentor have a driving session once a week.
For this program, the mentoring element is important in helping young people overcome disadvantage through community support to successfully obtain their driver’s licence and, with 120 hours of supervised driving experience, become safer drivers.
Moving to Colac from Melbourne where public transport is regular and easily accessible, Nick* was 20 years old before he attempted any driving experience. Recognising that did not have the support or access to the licenced driver or car to gain his 120 hours of driving, Nick’s friend recommended him to the L2P Program. As Nick says:
“I have gained a sense of responsibility, excitement and freedom, the L2P Program has given me opportunities and a licence will give me job prospects, and the ability to be able to get to and from where I need to go.”
“The whole process has been easy, from completing the application, to getting driving lessons to being matched with my Mentor – it has given me the hope of independence.”
*Not his real name