22/09/2026
It’s great to see this important conversation being picked up locally.
For almost 25 years, CCLLEN has worked quietly behind the scenes, bringing schools, employers, training providers, community organisations and services together to create opportunities for young people across our region.
But this is bigger than CCLLEN.
Across Victoria, Local Learning and Employment Networks provide statewide reach through genuinely local, place based organisations. Each LLEN knows its community, its schools, its employers and its services, while being part of a network supporting young people across the state.
As we approach 2027, the future of that network is facing significant uncertainty.
Our concern isn’t simply about individual programs. It’s about what happens to the relationships, local knowledge, partnerships and capacity built over more than two decades if there is no longer funding to sustain that broader role.
This is also part of a much bigger conversation about how we value and fund community based organisations. Project funding is important, but communities also need organisations with the capacity to connect the dots, respond to emerging needs and bring people together.
Thank you to the Riverine Herald for giving this issue some space, and to the many schools, businesses, services and community partners who continue to support this work.
Full article below 👇
Funding cuts threaten vital youth programs in Victoria.
