Hundreds more Victorian students of African heritage will receive extra support to stay engaged in school and work towards their goals thanks to the extension of Victoria’s ground-breaking Homework Club program.

Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence and Chair of the Victorian African Communities Action Plan (VACAP) Implementation Committee Anthony Carbines today announced $1.2 million for 13 Homework Clubs across the state to continue delivering vital after-school programs including one-on-one support, goal setting and mentoring.

In Dandenong, two local organisations Community in Abundance and VYSSA are among those selected to be a part of the Homework Club program.

Community in Abundance currently provides its programs to local students at St. Mary’s Primary School and St. Anthony Primary School, while VYSSA operates at Lyndale Secondary College and Lyndale Greens Primary School.

Students will be supported by eight School Community Liaison Officers, who work directly with schools, parents and students to ensure kids feel part of the school community.

More than 600 students have attended Homework Clubs since they started in January 2020, with feedback showing students are more confident and positive about school, and parents more engaged in their education.

The Andrews Labor Government is also establishing the Employment Brokers initiative, which will provide personalised support to African-Victorian jobseekers to improve job readiness and build pathways to work.

Eight successful organisations will share in $993,000 to enable them to host African Employment Brokers in partnership with Jobs Victoria Employment Network providers including Afri-Aus Care, a local not for profit organisation in the Dandenong who work with African and other Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities across the south-east.

The Homework Clubs, School Community Liaison Officers and Employment Brokers are part of the Labor Government’s Victorian African Communities Action Plan, a 10-year strategy developed with African communities to create opportunities across employment, education, wellbeing, inclusion and leadership.

For more information visit: vic.gov.au/empowering-african-communities-victoria