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The OzHarvest Nourish Program : An evaluation of a hospitality-based program to support employment for young Australians
Ball, Lauren Marsh, Julie Lepre, Breanna Woollett, Belinda Baynes, Dan Parkinson, Joy
Ball, Lauren
Marsh, Julie
Lepre, Breanna
Woollett, Belinda
Baynes, Dan
Parkinson, Joy
Abstract
Objectives: The youth unemployment rate in Australia is more than double the national average. Policies and programs to address barriers and improve youth engagement in education and employment are essential to achieve many of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of this mixed-methods study was to evaluate the OzHarvest Nourish Program, a free, hospitality-focused pathway to support employment and engagement for young people aged 16–25 years.
Study design: Mixed-methods study.
Methods: An online survey, workshop and semi-structured interviews with staff, volunteers, participants, and broader stakeholders were conducted using a qualitative, exploratory approach. Ethics approval was granted by the Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee (#2022/492).
Results: Five key themes were identified from interview data and a logic model was developed. Participants described significant benefits of participation, including improved food security, self-efficacy, and communication skills, reduced social isolation, and greater hope for the future.
Conclusions: The Nourish Program is a transformative service that is improving wellbeing outcomes for program participants. Additional resourcing, including adequate funding, may be required to maximise program impact and support sustainability.
Keywords
program evaluation, mixed-methods research, employment, education, young people, health and wellbeing
Date
2023
Type
Journal article
Journal
Book
Volume
6
Issue
Page Range
1-17
Article Number
ACU Department
Faculty of Law and Business
Collections
Relation URI
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
File Access
Open
Notes
© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Royal Society for Public Health.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).