It was a pleasure for TRACTION to deliver a 4-day Bicycle Build Boot Camp for the fourth group of participants from Access Community Services (ACS) in December 2017 at the Moorooka workshop.

Access Community Services is one of Australia’s leaders in multicultural issues, with over 30 years of experience in the provision of settlement, employment, training, youth support services, housing and social enterprise opportunities for migrants, refugees and Australian born clients. Services are delivered right across Queensland with a particular focus on the South East, including Logan City, Ipswich City and the Gold Coast.

The TRACTION Bicycle Build boot camp experience provides the chance for young people from the ACS network to strip down, assemble and personalise a bicycle donated by the community and keep the bicycle at the conclusion of the program. 

The boot camp also provided the chance for participants to have fun whilst learning new skills and making new friends, build confidence and self-belief, and build practical and life skills.

YOUTH mentoring program TRACTION has proven both effective and inspirational for five students in grade eight from Yeronga State High School.
 
The students are recent graduates of the TRACTION Bicycle Build program and have all indicated an eagerness to develop further skills following their recent experience with the not-for-profit community initiative.
 
Their skills will be further developed in the TRACTION Small Engines program, which will run during term four of 2017 at Traction’s Moorooka workshop.

The Small Engines program is backed by the Australian division of leading car, marine, motorcycle and power equipment manufacturer Honda Australia.
 
Honda has provided six identical lawnmowers and new motorcycle engines for TRACTION mentors to teach basic repair and maintenance.
 
TRACTION founder Sandy Murdoch is excited about participants gaining access to industry-relevant experience through Honda’s own exemplary training resources.
 
“This represents an exceptional opportunity for TRACTION participants to acquire new skills that will position them superbly for future employment,” Mr Murdoch said.
 
Honda’s General Manager for the Motorcycle Division Peter Singleton said the company decided to sponsor TRACTION as it fits with the group’s corporate social responsibility focus to support the next generation.
 
“TRACTION contributes to helping young people understand the diverse community and raises awareness that the community does value young people and that these values are widely held,” Mr Singleton said.
 
“TRACTION not only exposes young people to diversity, but builds their confidence, helps them discover new talent and understand the structure and value of teamwork and collaboration.”
 
The Small Engines Program will initially operate out of TRACTION’S Moorooka workshop, the space for which is provided free of charge by owner of Pro Motorcycles Moorooka, John Peterson, who is also a distributor for Honda.
 
“TRACTION helps take young people off the streets and doing something outside of the school atmosphere that will benefit them in the future,” Mr Peterson said.
 
“At the Moorooka workshop, youth are working in a real business environment – this is not a school but a program where people experience a real working operation.”
 
Mr Peterson has contributed the support and technical expertise of Pro Motorcycles’ mechanics and apprentices to aid TRACTION mentors and participants with their projects.
 
Mr Peterson himself will be spending time with the Small Engine program participants this term, sharing his experience with motorcycle engines and small motors.
 
Participants in the program will be introduced to basic mechanical concepts and will learn to strip down and rebuild Honda ‘postie’ motorcycles, whilst developing new skills that will position them well for work experience and further training down the track.
 
TRACTION is a charitable program and appreciates community support.
 
To sponsor a participant in the program, please click HERE. 

Six TRACTION participants from Clairvaux MacKillop College, aged between 12-15 years, were treated to a special visit from Brisbane members of business network Entrepreneurs’ Organisation (“EO”) last Friday.

The event was the initiative of Belinda Vesey-Brown, CEO of local strategic creative agency Brio Group, who as part of her 40th birthday celebrations in 2017 is paying it forward with 40 acts of kindness in the community. Joining her at TRACTION were four other EO members and business owners, Gerard Murtagh, Rohan Wood, Geordie Skinner and John Williamson.

There were special guests aplenty as the visit by EO members coincided with Benieka and Sarah from Equity Trustees dropping by the Moorooka workshop to see the TRACTION program in full flight.

The students from Clairvaux MacKillop are engaged in the TRACTION Bicycle Build program, which provides the chance for participants to refurbish a bicycle donated from the community over an eight to ten week period as part of their school curriculum. Students get to experience a sense of success, build confidence and develop practical, team and interpersonal skills.

Students showed the five EO members how they are progressing with their bike build projects. A bit like ‘speed dating’, students got the chance to spend time with each guest, with conversations flowing back and forth over the workshop bench. The visit provided the opportunity for a little mentoring, as the guests shared some of their life stories, including challenges overcome and lessons learnt.

The students presented each visitor with a TRACTION cap as a gesture of thanks, with Kasey, the Team Leader on the day, making the formal presentation.

It’s wonderful when the business community gets behind TRACTION. Participants feel like the people are taking an interest in them and care about the futures they are building for themselves. So well received were these special guests that students declared them “COOL AS!”.

Heartfelt thanks to the EO team and Equity Trustees visitors for giving so generously of their time. A particular thanks to those that provided their impressions on video - please see below.

If you would like to get involved with TRACTION, please Contact Us or visit our Support Us page to find out more about the help we need.

Fantastic to have Glenala State High School part of the TRACTION program. The first students started the Bike Build program at the Moorooka workshop last week.

Success Coach James Brewer joined the students and their first day. Mentors Rob and Mark enjoyed the day with the students, showing them the workshop and introducing them to their first bike projects. Participants stripped and re-assembled BMX bikes donated to TRACTION by retail group 99 Bikes for TRACTION to use for training purposes.

Glenala SHS is one of eight schools and community groups participating in TRACTION programs at the Moorooka workshop and the four students join 24 others getting into their projects each week.

We're excited to have Marsden State High School part of the TRACTION program. The first students started the Bike Build program at the Moorooka workshop recently.

Mentors Rob, Dale and John have been enjoying time with the students, showing them the workshop and introducing them to their first bike projects. The first task for participants was to strip and re-assemble BMX bikes donated to TRACTION by retail group 99 Bikes for TRACTION to use for training purposes.

Marsden SHS is one of eight schools and community groups participating in TRACTION programs at the Moorooka workshop and the three students from Marsden join 24 others getting into their projects each week.

We’re delighted to welcome Clairvaux MacKillop College as a new school to join TRACTION.

The first students started participating in the Bicycle Build program at the Moorooka workshop last week.

Mentors Rob and Karl enjoyed the day with the students, showing them the workshop and introducing them to their first bike projects. Participants stripped and re-assembled BMX bikes donated to TRACTION by retail group 99 Bikes for TRACTION to use for training purposes. 

Clairvaux MacKillop College is one of eight schools and community groups participating in TRACTION programs at the Moorooka workshop and the six students join 24 others getting into their projects each week.

We're proud that students from The Murri School (Acacia Ridge) got started with TRACTION in February.

The Murri School is quite different from other independent schools. While it concentrates on the 'academics' with a strong focus on literacy and numeracy, it also fosters a number of other dimensions that prepare students for life in the 21st century.  It's vision is “In respect of our peoples, our culture, our land, we foster an inclusive learning environment which promotes empowerment, identity and success through education". 

One of the joys of working with organisations like The Murri School is that it recognises that working in isolation is not productive and they acknowledge those who work with them to ensure positive outcomes for all students.

We look forward to supporting students who will participate in the Bike Build and Small Engines programs at our Moorooka Workshop.

Students from Beaudesert State High School and Flagstone State Community College have joined forces and are now participating in TRACTION at our Moorooka workshop. Youth Support worker Edmund, of Flipside Youth Service in Jimboomba, accompanies 7 students once day a week, where they are engaged in the Bicycle Build program.

We're delighted to have these new schools part of the program and are looking forward to helping the students complete their bike projects and build their own future!

It was a pleasure to host Mark Bailey (State member for Yeerongpilly and Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply) at our Moorooka workshop recently.

​Mark has a massive portfolio but took the time to see the workshop and meet with us and key TRACTION supporter John Peterson (owner of Pro Honda the location of our Moorooka workshop).

It's great when our elected representatives take an interest in TRACTION and get to understand the support we need to keep the program rolling so we can empower young people in need.

Thank you Mark for your time.

To find our more about Mark Bailey, visit him on Twitter or his website.