A GROUP of Shoalhaven youths have prepared a car for Australian Demo Derby champion Brett Bliefnick to destroy at an upcoming speedway event.
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The project was part of the Access Community Group’s Youth Connections program.
The idea was to bring together seven local youths at risk of disengaging from education together with industry mentors once a week for two months.
The teenagers worked with staff from Shoalhaven City Council’s mechanical services workshop, Nowra Police and the Shoalhaven PCYC.
For the young men, the focus was on the practical experience of stripping and rebuilding a car. They were also exposed to mentoring in life skills and exercise.
Year 10 student Isaac Gould took part in the program and said he learned to weld which he thinks is a skill he would like to develop.
“It would be good to get into a job with welding,” he said.
“I got a lot out of the course and I think the others did too.
“We learned a lot about safety and a lot about working on cars.
“We are pretty happy with how the car came up. I thought the best part was spray painting the car. We had to design how it was going to look.
“I’m looking forward to watching it in the derby,” he said.
Shoalhaven City Council’s mechanical services workshop supervisor Shane Moss said the group was enthusiastic.
“They stripped the car and then we all rebuilt the modifications so it would meet demolition derby scrutineering,” he said.
“There were quite a few safety issues involved. One was removing the airbags.”
The car will be driven in the Nowra Speedway Demo Derby competition on Saturday, April 19.