Victorians are arguably Australia's most parochial lot.
Scratch any Victorian and they'll tell you their state leads the country in most pursuits. And Melbourne? Well Melbourne is the centre of the universe - both known and unknown.
Australia's sporting and business capital? Melbourne.
Best events, best entertainment, best food? Melbourne, Melbourne and Melbourne.
And in my line of work - providing support for disadvantaged Australians - Victorians pride themselves on being the most progressive and providing the most innovative social programs to assist people in need.
"Things are different down here," Victorians will tell you. "Don't try telling us how to do things," words more often than not aimed at people from NSW, "…we're already way beyond anything you can bring to the table."
Arrogant? A little.
True? You'll forgive me if, as a Victorian, I answer mostly in the affirmative.
But as I travel around the country - and as the head of a national community service organisation I need to travel quite a bit - I'm beginning to boast less and reach for excuses more.
Excuses for the fact Victoria has the highest youth unemployment rate in the country.
Excuses for the fact Melbourne is the least affordable capital city for housing.
Across a host of social indicators things are looking bleak in 'Bleak City' and we need to act quickly and work more smartly if we're to address them.
Not since the rust belt years of the early 90s has Victoria seen youth unemployment rates of the kind we're witnessing now.
In the Central Highlands -Wimmera youth unemployment has reached 50 per cent.
In north-west Melbourne it's 51.6 per cent.
Nearly 20 per cent of Victorians aged 18 to 24 are neither in full-time employment nor study.
These figures are scandalous and yet we seem inured to them and the squandering of youthful potential they suggest.
Victoria needs a youth employment strategy.
The new state government needs to recognise that assisting organisations like Mission Australia tackle youth unemployment isn't just a federal responsibility.
The state government is well-placed to support programs that are complementary to federal efforts at driving youth unemployment down.
For example, we know from our experience that there is a growing disconnect between labour supply and demand in many of Melbourne's disadvantaged communities.
Businesses need job-ready applicants and many young jobseekers don't have the employability skills required.
Greater funding for locally-focussed, employer-first initiatives that identify job needs and focus on assisting young people so they can fill available vacancies is what's needed.
The jobs are there; we need to make sure that young people have the capacity to take them.
At the same time, for those kids in danger of dropping out of school early and disengaging from training or employment, Victoria needs to offer more flexible learning, opportunities for casual work experience and pathways to traineeships and other employment.
The Coalition Victorian Government could and should take a lead on this. Their predecessors largely deferred to their federal colleagues in this area - that must change.
As for its affordable housing problem, Victoria needs to develop a detailed housing plan that incorporates where affordable housing can be built, how it can be financed and how individuals can afford to continue living with their families in the communities in which they were raised.
Part of this will require a review of planning laws to balance the needs of today with tomorrow.
On top of that a strategy to fix, replenish and manage Victoria's ageing public housing will need to be addressed sooner rather than later.
There are currently 40,000 Victorians sitting on the public housing waiting list and there's no evidence that the previous government's efforts at generating affordable housing growth is having any impact.
Victoria can't continue to rest on its laurels in terms of its approach to social and employment challenges.
Look around: South Australia leads the country in terms of offering flexible schooling in non-traditional environments to keep young people from dropping out of school.
Perhaps more than any other state in recent years, NSW has thrown its resources - and better coordinated the assistance coming from the Australian Government - into the development of affordable housing…often at its political cost.
And again NSW has embarked upon a pilot of using social impact bonds - an innovative method of raising funds from non-government investors to pay for the provision of services - while Victoria stands idly by.
I'm sure Victoria's new Premier, Ted Baillieu, is receiving mountains of unsolicited advice at present, but if I might add to the pile:
"Mr Premier, in the area of social services and support for disadvantaged people, Victoria is in danger of falling behind the rest of the country. We need to act now to arrest the slide."
Let's hope he hears the message.
Toby Hall is the Chief Executive Officer of Mission Australia.
This piece was published in the National Times today. Read more of Toby's articles at this link
