L2P Driver Education Program
Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service's L2P Driver Education Program supports young people facing disadvantage obtain their drivers licence. Young people who live work or study in the city of Yarra are eligible to be part of the program which assists them to obtain their learners permit, access professional driving lessons and supervised driving practice, and achieve their goal of obtaining their drivers licence in a safe, lawful and supported way.
Driver literacy is an issue for young people participating in this program. They are often not in stable family environments that provide them with the opportunity of reaching the 120 hours of supervised driving experience that is needed before they can apply for a license. And many can’t afford their driver’s license, let alone lessons and testing. Obtaining your drivers licence as a young person opens up new employment opportunities and can be a life changing event.
Volunteers participating in this program are critical to its success.
Become a Volunteer in the Driver Education Program
Volunteering is meaningful, practical and rewarding. It is an opportunity to be a positive caring adult in the life of a disadvantaged young person.
Volunteer Supervising Drivers are trained and supported to work with a disadvantaged young person/s (aged 16-20 years) to accrue learner driving experience in a safe and lawful manner. The hours of driving supervision (normally 2-3 hours per week) are based on the volunteer's availability.
The vehicle we provide is a safe, modern, fully maintained and insured automatic car.
For more information about volunteering in this program, download a brochure here.
If you would like to volunteer please contact Julie Stark - Community Participation Worker via email to j.stark@goodshepvic.org.au, phone number 03 9419 5744 or mobile 0400 091 818.
If you would like to learn to drive with us, contact Shane Meredith - Driver Education Coordinator via email to s.meredith@goodshepvic.org.au, phone 03 8412 7355 or mobile 0458 387 624
Good Shepherd Youth and Family Services would like to acknowledge program partners, VicRoads, and the City of Yarra, and give thanks to program sponsors Members Equity, RACV and TAC.
Frequently Asked Questions
- I feel unsure about supervising a young learner driver. Do I need any special training?
No. We will provide you with comprehensive training. You must have your full drivers licence and a good driving record; however, you will not be expected to ‘teach’ someone how to learn to drive. Young people accessing this program will have, and continue to receive formal driving lessons from a qualified instructor.
Your role will only be to supervise, provide guidance and model good driving behaviour. You will not be asked to supervise a young person’s driving practice until they have been cleared by their instructor to do so. The comprehensive training provided (10 hours over 3 sessions including a practical exercise) is compulsory and will help prepare you to be a great supervising driver.
- Why is this program so important to young people?
The requirement for Learner Drivers to accrue 120 hours of supervised driving practice before taking the Provisional Licence test is of great value to everyone in the community because it improves road safety.
However, for those young people who may not have access to a car or an adult in their life who is willing or able to supervise their driving on a regular basis -- gaining this vital in-car experience can be almost impossible. This will likely be the case for young people who are living independently or in unstable or impoverished family circumstances.
Getting your drivers licence as a young person is a great achievement. In many ways it can be viewed as a major milestone of adulthood. It also opens up new opportunities for employment and can be a life changing event.
Time spent with a young person in a car can also be very important on a personal level. It is an informal, private space where young people often choose to talk about difficulties or dilemmas in their life.
The program enables and encourages young people to achieve their goals in a safe and lawful ways. The L2P vehicle is garaged at the local police station to offer young people the opportunity to engage with local law enforcement authorities for positive reasons. We encourage volunteers to keep this in mind and include the learner driver in collecting and returning the vehicle keys whenever possible.
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