Young people experiencing complex barriers to employment often face the most hurdles to finding and keeping a job. But a recent milestone from Dismantle’s JobReadii program shows just how powerful sustained, targeted support can be in helping them build brighter futures.
What is JobReadii?
JobReadii is Dismantle’s in-house support and development program, a core investment in the young people we employ. It offers tailored case management, crisis support, and personal and professional development to every youth employee during their time at ReNew Property Maintenance.
Each young person is paid award wages, engaged in meaningful real work, and backed by dedicated one-on-one support to build the confidence, capacity and life stability they need to succeed beyond the program.
A proven model with real results
On average, youth employees spend 8 months with ReNew, after which 73% successfully transition into employment, training, or further education.
Thanks to additional funding from the Mantana Foundation, Dismantle recently intensified JobReadii support for a small group of its highest-need Youth Employees. The result? Multiple driver assessments passed, TAFE enrolments completed, and nationally recognised certifications achieved. Several have since moved on to full-time employment or further study. One such example from this cohort is*Riley, who joined ReNew after a long stretch of unemployment and housing instability. At first, he struggled to show up regularly, overwhelmed by day-to-day survival. But with support from JobReadii, he gradually stabilised his living situation, got his driver’s licence, and started working five days a week. After 76 months at ReNew - making him the longest-standing Youth Employee in our history, Riley recently secured a full-time job with a commercial construction company, and now drives his own work vehicle. It’s stories like Riley’s that make this recent milestone so significant. Seeing a group of our longest-stayers finally step into stable employment is powerful proof of what’s possible with patient, tailored, wraparound support.
And it’s not just anecdotal. A 2023 research report by the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) Swinburne, funded by the Westpac Foundation, highlighted ReNew as one of Australia’s most impactful Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs). The study found that ReNew incurred an Impact Cost Percentage of 25–29%, significantly higher than comparable non-social enterprises, due to the level of tailored support, additional training, and infrastructure required to support this cohort. These costs, which include JobReadii, are not inefficiencies, but deliberate investments in changing lives.
The critical role of investment
JobReadii is one of Dismantle’s largest operating expenses, but it's also the most critical. Without the time, energy and trust built through this support, many of our youth employees wouldn’t reach the point of successful transition at all.
This recent milestone proves that when the right support is in place, sustained, human-centred, and flexible, even the hardest-to-transition young people can find a foothold into long-term work and stability.