Listed below is an except from the evaluation undertaken by the Nous Group June-September 2007. Previous evaluations of the program have been undertaken by Growth Solutions Group in 2003-4 and Asquith Group in 2005

" SCEEC delivers two major long-term outcomes for young people. These are:

• increased economic independence - the ability of SCEEC participants to transition into education, training and employment
• 62% of SCEEC’s Slingshot and incubator participants reported being in employment 3-months after their last interaction with SCEEC
• 20% of SCEEC’s Slingshot and incubator participants reported being in formal training or education (including NEIS) 3-months after their last interaction with SCEEC.

This makes it one of the more successful youth-pathway programs, particularly when compared with the three main government programs – NEIS (80%), JPET (30%) and Job Networks (66%).

Only the Queensland-based SpeakOut program is able to generate the same outcomes for the same target audience. An important difference between this program and SCEEC, however, is that SpeakOut focuses on apprenticeships and has commercially-ready social enterprises for its participant. SCEEC, on the other hand, focuses specifically on self-employment.

• increased social connections - the ability of SCEEC participants to more actively engage with their community through:
• 43% drop in income support and the 80% drop in pensions 3-months after their last interaction with SCEEC
• Improved level of self-confidence and motivation
• Access to other young people with similar aspirations and interests
• positive changes in their level of confidence and/or motivation
• enabled young people to meet other young people with similar aspirations and interests as their own

The success of the SCEEC to reconnect young people is built on the meshing of its inputs/resources and activities. This meshing is driven by SCEEC’s staff and culture. SCEEC staff are passionate and committed about their work and entrepreneurial in spirit. The SCEEC culture has established a high sense of ‘ownership’ by the young people. They are proud of their workspace."

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