Former Australian of the Year Local Hero, Bernie Shakeshaft, says that when he first brought wild kids and wild dogs together, he knew he was onto something special.
In 2006, he founded a tiny youthwork operation called BackTrack in Armidale, NSW, with just a rundown shed, some working dogs and a handful of volunteers. 20 years later, BackTrack is nationally recognised for its wraparound, holistic youthwork, diversionary, education, training and employment programs, safe places to stay for at-risk young people and the magic connection that still happens when dogs and kids are brought together. BackTrack has changed the trajectory of over 1,000 young people directly – and many more through their influence across the youth services sector, offering a proven alternative to incarceration and a pathway for some of the most marginalised young people to turn their lives around.
Learning, Their Way
One of the most significant risk factors that makes a young person vulnerable to contact with the criminal justice system and long-term unemployment is disengagement from education and training. The young people BackTrack supports are 100% early school-leavers who have complex learning and welfare needs. The BackTrack Core Education Program is designed to re-engage these young people with tailored, practical, often one-on-one teaching – sometimes in the classroom, but often in the shed, the workshop, the farm or out on camps. Their youthwork methodology is steeped in the Circle of Courage principles of Mastery, Independence, Belonging and Generosity, and everything is done with the help of the BackTrack pack of working dogs, who help to build connection, non-judgment and mastery opportunities.
BackTrack Works – turning ‘unemployable kids’ into leaders
In 2018, as many BackTrack young people were ‘ageing out’ of the Core Education Program, but still not quite ready to step out on their own, BackTrack started the social enterprise, BackTrack Works, to help young people build practical experience in real-life work environments while still accessing BackTrack’s flexible, wraparound support. BackTrack Works has gone from strength to strength, delivering commercial services and community projects across agriculture, construction, fabrication, disaster recovery and asset maintenance. Customers get the benefit of a job competitively quoted, well done, delivered on time, and within budget, while also knowing they are helping BackTrack young people earn tickets, accredited training, on the job skills and paid employment. Many young people have moved on from BackTrack Works into external employment in all kinds of places – and quite a few have stayed on as Supervisors, or in other key roles across the organisation.
Young People Stepping Up – The Night Crew
At the start of 2025, BackTrack formally launched a Youth Advisory Group, comprised of older young people to advise management and the Board on program design and direction, embedding lived experience into decision-making. This vision – to create a model for empowering this incredibly complex cohort to become the change makers and caretakers of the BackTrack legacy for future generations, is a full circle moment. Since February 2025, these emerging leaders have devised and delivered a ‘Night Crew Program’ reaching out to the most disengaged young people on the streets of Armidale throughout the night. The Night Crew program has received widespread recognition and support, with a 50% reduction in incidents of youth crime during its pilot period, and it’s still running with great success.
A Farm of their Own – BackTrack’s 100 Year Vision
The BackTrack Farm, Cubba Cubbah is a place that BackTrack young people can learn high demand agricultural skills and feel that essential sense of belonging well into the future. Having their own farm has shifted the organisation’s thinking to the very long term and BackTrack is currently embarking on an exciting 100 Year Vision process, looking beyond the horizon at what future generations of kids who are having a hard time might need and how we can leave them a legacy that is true to the BackTrack spirit of ‘whatever it takes for as long as it takes’.
BackTrack’s mission is to keep kids in regional communities alive, out of jail and chasing their hopes and dreams and they aim to help as many young people falling through the cracks as possible. To this end, they have also established the BackTrack Network of like-minded organisations doing similar work in other towns across the country, and they are producing a youth worker training course to skill up the next generation of youth workers in the BackTrack Way.
With Third Link’s help, this unique organisation is making profound change in the lives of young people and in their communities – in Armidale and far beyond.
For more information see backtrack.org.au and follow them on socials @backtrackyouthworks
You can stream the award-winning feature documentary ‘BackTrack Boys’ here.
