Auto repairs shop turns young lives around
Synergy Auto Repairs is an Australian-first initiative that’s repairing cars and restoring lives
Eighteen-year-old Mark spent much of his adolescence without a stable place to call home. In 2014, he was kicked out by his mum due to a family conflict. Mark admits now that he was “off the rails”.
He spent a number of years couch surfing with friends, sometimes moving two or three times a week. He received help from the Department of Human Services, but even then was moved regularly from place to place.
I felt terrible,” Mark recalls. “I had no home, no support and no one to talk to.
Mark says he was confused about what was happening to him. He didn’t know where to go or what to do. He became disengaged from support services and experienced anxiety and depression.
In March he joined the program at Synergy Auto Repairs in Melbourne. Synergy is a social enterprise offering smash repair services to the general public while providing training and support to young people aged 16-20 with a history of motor vehicle-related offences. The program gives them the skills to start a smash repairs apprenticeship, equipping them for a career in the industry.
Synergy program manager Troy Crellin says all of the program’s young participants arrive having faced significant challenges. Mark was no exception.
“He went through a lot of chaos and trauma at once. He had to ask himself questions no 16 year old should have to, like ‘Where am I staying tonight?’ If he had been put in touch with the right services early to reconnect him with his mum, he may never have missed school or been through so much trauma and homelessness.”
Helping get young people back on track
Since starting the program, Mark’s life has taken a dramatic turn. Surrounded by a supportive team, he’s developed positive social connections and learned many new skills.
Mark is set to complete the program this month, and is excited to pursue a job as a spray painter as the next step on his journey towards independence.
Synergy Repairs program outcomes since 2014 launch:
* Includes apprenticeships, further study, casual employment and other opportunities
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