Construction company building purpose for youth

A program that started as a way for young men to work off their fines now gives back to the community in more ways than one.

Indigenous-led repairs, maintenance and construction company Warrama-li is providing skills and employment for local youth and giving them options for the future, chief executive Darrel Smith told AAP.

"If school or further education isn't an option for them they can get into doing something with their hands," he said of the business at Moree in northern NSW.

"It gives them a purpose, they've got something to do every day when they come here, they're learning new skills, and they get employment out of it."

The social enterprise had humble beginnings - young people would come to mow the lawns and do repairs at Warrami-li's parent company Miyay Birray Youth Service as a way of paying off fines.

But only so many lawns needed mowing and things needed repair at the youth service, Mr Smith said, so they took their initiative to the community.

It proved a double benefit, with youth gaining skills and employment in completing repairs and maintenance that may otherwise have been neglected, Mr Smith said.

"A lot of the trades weren't willing to do the smaller jobs," he said.

"The housing providers were bringing in repair and maintenance teams from outside the area, even sometimes outside the state."

Giving back is the best part of the job for Moree local Stanley Smith, a young father of two.

"We're giving back to the community, to the elders," the 26-year-old said.

"When we go to their houses, we do the doors, windows, the walls, whatever needs fixing."

Stanley has been working at Warrama-li for six months and is proud to set an example for his younger peers.

"I feel good showing them what to do and showing them that there's different stuff in life, different opportunities," he said.

While Darrel Smith said he can see the difference Warrama-li is making to the community, attracting people to fill senior positions has been a challenge for the company.

"Moree has this reputation of being a big youth crime and big crime area but it's no different to any other community in the state," he said.

Mr Smith has lived in Moree for more than 20 years and says opportunity beckons not just for work and pay, but to make a positive difference.

"It's not just about coming in and getting a wage and leaving," he said.

"It's about how you can help a community grow and especially our young people, give them skills so they can have a purpose in life."