In short:
Cairns man Rob Hodge invested his own money and passion into creating a program to help at-risk youth.
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Hodge → invest → youth
Fresh Start Academy trains young people in mechanics and barbering to set them on a better path for the future.
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Academy → train → future
After securing trial funding, Mr Hodge hopes to secure long-term support following a successful first semester of mechanics.
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Hodge → secure → mechanics
After almost three decades working with at-risk young people through government departments, Rob Hodge found there were limits when working to change things.
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Hodge → work → things
He said it felt like there was a philosophy that young people came with risks, and those needed to be contained.
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those → say → risks
"It was really tough to be able to provide young people opportunities,"he said.
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It → provide → opportunities,"he
In the Cairns community, he said it was hard convincing people to care.
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it → say → people
So, Mr Hodge left his "fairly comfortable government job" and took his own risk, building a program with his own hands, money and family.
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Hodge → leave → hands
He founded Fresh Start Academy, which works with young people, including those considered "at-risk" by the youth justice department.
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which → found → department
"My life savings has gone into this," he said.
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he → go → this
Participants learn practical trade skills on the job, with the group offering a barbering course initially and now adding mechanics, and 24 young people attending each semester.
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people → learn → mechanics
"If we get them early and if we provide a learning space for them that invigorates them, that's the real truth to sustainable diversion," Mr Hodge said.
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Hodge → get → diversion
The program has now received $300,000 in funding until January next year through the state government's Kickstarter program.
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program → receive → program
Half of Mr Hodge's students are kids aged 15-to-17-year-old who are "disengaged" with school or considered at risk of entering the justice system.
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who → age → system
The latest Queensland Crime Report, released in June, found Far North Queensland had the highest number of serious repeat youth offenders.
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Queensland → release → offenders
They are young people who authorities say often influence other kids to offend.
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authorities → say → kids
However, Mr Hodge said his experience taught him while punishment had a place, purpose and pride created lasting change.
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purpose → say → change
"We have young people who have been kicked from pillar to post from the time that they were born," he said.
"
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he → have → time
They've grown up knowing that they're the have-nots."
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they → grow → ?
In an earlier barbering program, Mr Hodge watched teens change how they viewed themselves after seeing smiles on customers' faces.
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they → watch → faces
"If they don't have physical gifts that can change their position, then it's only temporary," he said.
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he → have → position
Inside the workshop
Fresh Start Academy program coordinator, and Mr Hodge's son, Traye, said the program was a "win-win" for community members who donated their cars to get fixed.
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who → say → cars
"It's a full free service by our fully qualified mechanic here, and our young people are getting a chance to really learn hands-on," he said.
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he → qualify → chance
The teenagers attend the program twice a week, obtaining a certificate in Automotive Vocational Preparation, while working directly with cars.
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teenagers → attend → cars
The program also uses the interactions to encourage school-aged students to engage with other forms of education.
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program → use → education
Since the first semester, four young people have gone on to apprenticeships, and another four are continuing their studies at TAFE.
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four → go → TAFE
Some young people, including 16-year-old Robert Cutmore, join the program, not because they are "at risk" or involved with the justice system, but so they can try learning away from a classroom.
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they → include → classroom
Robert said school "just wasn't really working", and said he struggled to sit still and absorb information from the board.
"It's more of a one-on-one thing for me, hands-on work like here at Fresh Start," he said.
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he → say → Start
Since starting the program, Robert's mentors said he had become one of their best students.
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he → start → students
He has now applied for apprenticeships and said he has found a future in mechanics.
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he → apply → mechanics
Immeasurable benefits
Youth Advocacy Centre chief executive Katherine Hayes said programs like Mr Hodge's were "exactly what we should be supporting" to address juvenile crime.
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we → say → crime
She said grassroots, early intervention programs built skills like turning up, accountability and confidence, which were harder to measure but just as important.
"
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which → say → turning
We're dealing with complex human beings here and it's not a conveyor belt of change," she said.
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she → deal → change
However, stigma remained a major barrier because young offenders were acutely aware of how they were perceived.
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they → remain → ?
"I think it helps contribute to a sort of nihilism in their way of thinking that 'well, I've got nothing to lose'," Ms Hayes said.
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Hayes → think → nothing
She said most young people in the system were not violent offenders, and many had a chance of "coming out better" with support.
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many → say → support
The Aporia