Ryan helps young people climb the ladder to success
Ryan helps young people climb the ladder to success
15 March 2022
Ryan Hallett (in blue) with Ladder Program staff and young program participants in front of the AFL premiership trophy.
If there’s one thing that engages young people in the community, it is sport. Just ask Ryan Hallett, a die-hard Sydney Swans supporter with strong Salvation Army links.
Ryan works as an AFL Development Coach for the Ladder Program (student mentoring) in Victoria’s LaTrobe Valley. The official charity of the Australian Football League Players Association, it is the perfect job for a man who is admittedly “hugely, madly, crazy in love with AFL”.
“Working with young people is my passion; I love it,” Ryan shares. “Through Ladder, we help young people aged 16-25 who are disengaged or don’t know what to do outside of high school ... to take the next step in education, employment or training. We take a holistic approach to doing that, addressing resilience, work ethic, and financial skills.”
You could say that helping people is in Ryan’s blood. His grandfather and father both worked as Salvation Army chaplains, and other family members are also Salvationists. He was born and raised at Waverley Salvos in Melbourne, and he even met his wife there at a mere five years old – safe to say that he got married quite a few years later. So, his role in the Ladder program is a fitting position for a man generationally wired to serve people.
To date, Ryan and the team at Ladder have supported 170 young people through the eight-week program. Referred to Ladder through school networks and services, the short-term program has long-term benefits. Seventy-five per cent of their graduates are engaged in education, employment or training post-program, with eight per cent actively seeking employment with Ladder’s ongoing support.
Research shows that 100 per cent of participants feel more motivated to achieve goals after doing the program, and 95 per cent feel more connected to their community. And these are more than just numbers, just ask Ryan. Young people will frequently connect with Ladder staff years after exiting the program to say hello.
“A lot of the young people we work with don’t have solid support or constant people in their lives. So just being a constant person they can come back to [is amazing],” he reflects. “We have kids on our books coming back and telling us how they’re going years on. It makes it worthwhile.”
Though not active in the Salvos much today, Ryan’s roots run deep. Ladder has just begun talks with the Morwell Salvos Store to help young people become employment-ready by volunteering. While still in its early stages, there is potential for it to become a wider partnership for Ladder branches and Salvos Stores across the region.
“One of the biggest aspects of Ladder’s work is getting young people involved in the community. We know that if they’ve got reasons to get out of bed, they’ll be productive,” he shares.
“We are always looking for new ways to engage with the community, so we want to run this [volunteer partnership with the Salvos Store] to see if this is productive – then we can get the ball rolling.”
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