CONNECTing with Kennards Hire: What real partnership looks like
Philanthropy Week is a moment to celebrate what generosity looks like in practice. Not just the writing of a cheque, but the showing up. The willingness to invest in something long term, even before the results are guaranteed.
At TRACTION, we know what that kind of partnership looks like. We see it every term through our work with Kennards Hire.
CONNECT is our pathways to employment program, born from a simple but powerful idea: that the young people coming through our BUILD workshops were developing real, transferable skills, and that if we could find the right employer, they could offer a bridge to employment through work experience - and in doing so, unlock a doorway to a meaningful future.
TRACTION CONNECT is unique in that it was co-designed by TRACTION, Kennards Hire and the Kennards Hire Foundation. The Kennards Hire team went all in, taking mutual responsibility for the experience and the very real impact they were having on young people's lives.
Since CONNECT launched in Term 4 2024, the Kennards Hire team has supported 29 young people through work excursions and four young people through work experience opportunities. Two of those young people are now employed.
One of them is Holly. Holly stood out from the very first CONNECT session. Steve Le Prou, Area Manager at Kennards Hire, remembers it clearly.
“Straight away, she brought this incredible energy, confidence and authenticity that people connected with immediately,” says Steve. “Watching her go from the program and stepping into employment with Kennards Hire has been amazing, and I can genuinely see her building a career with us.”
Steve reflects on his own experience too. "To know one opportunity can have that kind of impact on a young person's future is incredibly rewarding. My father was a teacher and school principal, and I understand now why he loved his work so much."
Holly went through the interview process, secured a role at a Kennards Hire branch on the Gold Coast, and has been supported with flexible hours, transport assistance and an internal mentor throughout. She has now finished school and is still with the team. She is, by any measure, thriving.
Then there is another young person with a complex home life who came through our BUILD program, needed more time, came back the following term and then grew in confidence. When CONNECT came around, TRACTION's team made sure he had a seat at the table.
The Kennards Hire staff noticed him immediately and work experience at their Cleveland site is now being arranged.
“To hear the effect we may have had … this could change the rest of his life. He’s interested, he’s engaged and he’s found something hands-on that really suits him. To have played even a small part in breaking negative cycles (from disengagement), is amazing,”
The ripple goes both ways
What TRACTION has always believed and what Kennards Hire has helped us prove, is that this kind of partnership doesn't just change young people - it changes the people around them too.
"One of the biggest surprises has been the positive impact CONNECT has had on our own team," Steve reflects. "Our staff genuinely enjoy sharing their stories and being part of the journey. You can see their confidence and leadership skills growing through these opportunities."
Even the team members operating machinery or working on the floor have grown through their involvement with CONNECT, stepping up to support the young people coming through. An outcome, Steve admits, nobody quite anticipated.
“We invited one of our staff members, Tyson, to be a CONNECT presenter. He’s normally a confident, upbeat person, but standing up in front of young people made him feel really nervous and vulnerable. What was incredible was how the young people responded. They supported him, encouraged him and it really helped build his confidence. That experience had an impact on everyone in the room.”
We think there's something quietly powerful about this. A program designed to build confidence in young people, turning out to build confidence in the adults around them as well!
Why Philanthropy Week matters to us
Philanthropy Week is not just a celebration of generosity. It's a reminder that meaningful change requires more than goodwill, it requires commitment, trust, a willingness to listen and try new things.
The work TRACTION does is only possible because partners like Kennards Hire choose to show up, not just once, but term after term. They send their people into rooms with young Australians who have every reason to be disengaged from school, and they do it with open hands and open minds.
"When young people first arrive at CONNECT, they can be withdrawn, disengaged or unsure of themselves” says Steve. “But by the end of the day, you see a real shift. They're asking questions, getting involved and wanting to know more. You walk away with that feeling that you've genuinely made a difference."
To every partner who walks alongside us in this work, thank you. You are not just funding a program, you’re changing the trajectory of a young person's life. And in doing so, you are helping build the kind of Australia we all want to live in.