RETAIL READY
Retail Ready is about to head into its fourth cohort for 2026, with 10 new young people in the process of onboarding to expand their knowledge in retail! With two new in-house support workers, Retail Ready has continued to support young people in to build their work readiness skills over a 10 week timeframe. The young people have all been able to graduate with a ready-to-go resume, supported with applying for jobs and how to prepare for an interview.
HoMie is currently recruiting for the January and April cohorts for 2027. Organisations who are supporting young people aged 18-25 who have been affected by homelessness or hardship who have an interest in retail and customer service, to please complete the expression of interest form!
VIP
We've been lucky enough to support over 1000 young people through the VIP program this year through VIP events in our Fitzroy store and providing Take Home Packs through the Take Home Pack program. We've also taken VIP on the road, hosting our first-ever pop up VIP event in Sydney. It was a beautiful day, and we're looking forward to being able to connect with more of the community in Sydney and support young people experiencing homelessness or hardship.
As we all know, there has been a significant increase in young people experiencing homelessness and hardship across Victoria. As the demand for material aid and support continues to increase, we've had a huge influx of interest in our VIP events. This means there is currently a significant waitlist for VIP events and Take Home Pack requests. We really appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we work through the waitlist.
PATHWAY ALLIANCE
Pathway Alliance has continued to support young people through 2026, with participants building their skills, confidence and pathways towards employment and further education.
Young people have completed their Certificate III in Business studies and are currently completing the final weeks of their paid employment traineeships with retail partners, working 12 hours a week over six months. Throughout the program, young people have also had the opportunity to engage in First Nations artist workshops and creative and modelling opportunities, building their skills and exploring new experiences. Young people will graduate at the end of October with paid work experience, a Certificate III in Business, increased confidence and greater work readiness, providing a strong foundation for their next steps into employment and further education.