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What is mentoring?Mentoring programs aim to provide a structured and trusting relationship that brings people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement.
What can mentoring help the young person to achieve?Depending on the type of program, mentoring can help young people to achieve anything from finding a career, better grades at school, experiencing new social activities and learning essential skills for life. The mentor can be someone who helps the young person find work experience or if they are a business mentor they can help to learn more about the organisation and professional resources needed to succeed in that area. The mentor is someone to talk to, someone who will listen and not judge. Good mentoring programsA responsible mentoring program requires:
What activities take place during the mentoring sessions?Depending on the type of program all sorts of activities such as researching careers on the internet, visiting work sites, playing sports, going to the movies, museums, and parks. Work on a community project together like planting the local community garden, building furniture at the local community shed or just sitting and talking to one another. How long do is the program?Most programs have a minimum commitment that they ask all young people to adhere to. This could be anything from 12 weeks (the length of a school term) up to 1 year. In some programs if the young person and mentor enjoy working together there is no end to how long the program can run. In some organisations longer relationships are encouraged. How is a mentor allocated?Every program matches mentors and young people differently but the common ways include matching a pair based on their interests and likes or on their religious or cultural backgrounds. This is achieved by comparing the comments each person has written on their application form. Other programs have welcome days. On these days a group of mentors and young people get together to play games, have a barbeque or work on activity sheets together. At the end of the day both groups nominate who they got along with best and are matched according to their preferences. What if the young person doesn’t get along with the mentor?The matching process is a very careful process and the likelihood of a bad match is quite small but in the event that the young person doesn’t get along with the mentor the program staff must be notified. If the program is based at school you tell the teacher but if it is a community program then call the program staff. The staff or teacher may want to talk to the young person about this and see if the two people can work things out. If this is not possible the young person may be re-matched with another mentor if there are spare volunteers. Is the mentor bound by confidentiality?What is told to the mentor will remain confidential unless the young person or someone else is at risk of being harmed. Then the mentor must tell someone else in a position of authority. (Usually the program staff). How can a young person join a mentoring program?A variety of mentoring programs are listed below. Click on the links to find a program in your local area. Willing and Able Mentoring (WAM) ProgramWhat is WAM?The Willing and Able Mentoring (WAM) Program matches job seekers or tertiary students who have a disability with Mentors in leading organisations in the job seekers/students' field of interest for a series of approximately eight one to two-hour discussion meetings during Semester two of the given year. During these meetings strategies focused on are:
The WAM Program was established through a collaboration between Deakin University and the University of Melbourne in 2000. WAM is now available across Australia for any job seeker or tertiary student who has a disability dependent on funding support. In 2006 tertiary students in Victoria, particularly TAFE students, can access a free WAM Program thanks to the funding support of the Victorian Office of Training and Employment; and the Disability Coordination Officer in Sydney, Tim Hart, is supporting the WAM Program for tertiary students who have a disability in the Sydney area. Enquiries for a WAM Program are welcome from people in other localities as well, including rural areas, but these programs would be subject to finding appropriate funding or other support. The WAM Program was successfully piloted for general job seekers who have a disability in 2005 with support from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, and is now available for job seekers who have a disability on a fee for service basis through their Job Network or Disability Open Employment Service Why Have It?The premise underlying the WAM Program is that people who have a disability, despite being as talented as their peers, are often overlooked in the fierce competition for career opportunities due to negative self-concepts, community stereotypes and general negative beliefs or assumptions about their ability. WAM has the potential to reduce those negative beliefs, and enhance personal/professional strategies (e.g. networking skills) to assist people who have a disability become more competitive in that challenging transition from study to career. Other benefits, which may flow from the WAM concept, include more general positive cultural compliance and development in the workplace and clarification of essential requirements of job roles in the workplace. How To ApplySimply download the WAM Application Form, complete, and return it preferably online to kevin.murfitt@deakin.edu.au Download the WAM Application Form at http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/content/view/full/318 In short, applicants must be available for a training workshop, the six to eight mentor sessions at the mentor's workplace, and a debriefing and certificate presentation event at the end of the program. The WAM Program has now been documented and analysed as the focus of PHD research by the WAM Program Coordinator, Kevin Murfitt. A steering committee including Disability Liaison Officers and Careers Counsellors also guides the development of WAM. Many other organisations are also giving their support to WAM in addition to the mentor organisations including:
Mentor organisations who have participated so far include:
Further InformationFor further information about WAM, please contact: Kevin Murfitt
Mark Lazaroo
Disability Mentoring Program – Glen Eira City CouncilThe mentoring program has been established by the Glen Eira City Council to develop the potential/skills of those who are, or who aspire to be leaders in their community. This will be achieved through the matching of Mentees with suitable Mentors who hold a leadership role within local organisation/business that they represent. The program consists of eight one hour sessions where the Mentee meets with the Mentor. The focus is for the Mentee to experience what it is like to be a leader. The Mentor shares their experience and learning’s with the Mentee. This is achieved through the meetings. This can also include attendance to seminars/forums on the part of the Mentee with the Mentor and also attendance to organisational meetings. In the case of attendance to a forum that is held for a half day this can account for two to five hours, cutting the time of completion. Time is flexible and can be adjusted to suit the needs of all of those involved. Leadership Plus will provide support to both parties and the relationship can be dissolved if it does not work. More information re Leadership Plus can be found at www.leadershipplus.com Please call the MetroAccess officer on 9524 3283 if you would like any further information. Download Files - Application form Victorian Youth Mentoring AllianceThe Victorian Youth Metoirng Alliance (www.youthmentoringvic.org.au) is an incorporated, non government, representative organisation of youth mentoring programs in Victoria, Members represent the entire spread of youth mentoring programs operating in Victoria, including community-based programs, school-based programs and cultural and faith based programs. The alliance supports the successful implementation of high quality mentoring practices in regional and urban communities. Their goal is to be an effective allliance of youth mentoring programs that advances youth mentoring through:
Youth Mentoring NetworkThe Network is an initiative of the National Youth Mentoring Partnership which consists of four not-for profit organisations (The Smith Family, Dusseldorp Skills Forum, Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia and Job Futures) and the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. The Youth Mentoring Network aims to work with interested youth mentoring organisations and practitioners to foster the growth and development of high quality mentoring programs for young people in Australia by providing a national base of collaboration, support, guidance and expertise. The programs offered are not disability specific. Below is a list of some of the mentoring programs available in Victoria. For a more comprehensive list go to www.youthmentoring.org.au 3 Way Mentoring ProgramLocation: Geelong and Dandenong
Hand Brake Turn provides automotive training for disadvantaged young people in Dandenong and Geelong, with the view to get them into apprenticeships. The mentoring program support the young people as they realize their goals. Mentors are sourced from the local business community, but are not asked to take on young people as apprentices. Mentoring is supportive in its nature, rather than directive. Aiming High Mentoring ProgramLocation: Morwell
The Aiming High Program offers young people an opportunity to develop a one-to-one relationship with a more experienced adult from the local community. Young people are able to benefit from their mentor's life experiences and obtain support to achieve their personal and educational goals. The Aiming High Program supports young people in three specific areas: Pathways development; Personal development and Social development. It is specifically aimed towards young people who are disengaged or at risk of disengagement from schools, training and other community services; young people at risk of offending or have offended; those who are culturally, socially, academically and environmentally isolated or disadvantaged; young people with special needs including mental health issues or those without personal support networks; and young people experiencing low self-esteem or confidence. The Aiming High program encourages young people to experience new ways of dealing with life situations and develop confidence to build on their strengths and develop positive relationships, both personally and socially. The Bayside Youth Mentoring ProgramLocation: Elsternwick
The Bayside Youth Mentoring (BYM) program is the product of a venture between Anglicare Victoria Southbridge Youth Services and the Bayside Churches and Community Action Network (BayNET) to provide a mentoring service for at risk young people connected with the City of Bayside. The aim of the program is to prevent ‘at risk’ young people in the community from becoming ‘high risk’ by linking them to trained and accredited adult mentors. The BYM program can assist young people who are:
Big Brothers Big SistersLocation: Richmond
Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program matches young people (7-25) with a trusted adult volunteer mentor. Each volunteer is required to be thoroughly screened and trained prior to being matched to a young person. Matching is made on the basis of a range of factors such as personalities, interests, locality and strengths. Once a mentoring match is created, BBBS staff closely support and supervise each relationship which commences with weekly one-to-one contact for the first 12 months. There are regular reviews in place for each mentoring match where all parties have the opportunity to share their thoughts about how they think the match is progressing. A BBBS mentoring relationship will last an average of three years. Mentoring matches are not only longstanding, but they are life changing! M.O.O.O.V. (Mentors, One-on-One Volunteers)Location: Collingwood
Good Shepherd has run mentor programs since 1990. MOOOV assists an adult volunteer to befriend a young person who may be isolated, in emotional pain or from a disadvantaged background and who is in need of a positive role model or friend. Mentors spend at least 1-2 hours with a young person on a weekly basis for a minimum period of 12 months. MOOOV (Mentors, One On One Volunteers) is conducted at the Collingwood Good Shepherd site but serves many parts of Melbourne. MOOOV services up to approximately a total of 50 matches. The mentee (young person) is matched with the mentor of the same gender. The major focus of time spent together is in enjoying leisure activities together and having a good time. The program also recognises many participants suffer significant poverty and also provides some material assistance to young people through their mentors. Menzies MatesLocation: Frankston
Menzies Mates offers 2 types of mentoring. One is where the mentor and young person spend at least a couple of hours per week together enjoying low cost activities. The mentor is fully screened, trained and supported by Menzies Mates staff. Group Mentoring happens at Sages Cottage Farm, on Sages Road in Baxter. This program provides an opportunity for a group of young people to engage in fun activities with two or three mentors assisting them, and building a friendship with them. Teen Mentoring – Australian Red CrossLocation: North Melbourne
The program provides weekly, individualised support and activities for high school students who could benefit from contact on a one to one basis with a significant adult other than their parent or teacher. The significant adults are enthusiastic locally recruited and trained volunteers. There are 12-16 volunteers per school. The volunteer mentors receive extensive training (Three, 3–3˝ hour evening sessions) by qualified and specialized professionals in issues affecting youth and general communication skills. On an ongoing basis training will be provided and qualified program personnel are available at any time for feedback and support. The program is implemented during school hours and for one period per week during the whole year. The selected and trained Volunteer Mentors are requested to commit themselves for one school year in order to ensure continuity of support for the student. The program is currently operating in secondary schools in Sale, Bendigo, Geelong and Echuca. Expansion into other areas, e.g. Ballarat and Melbourne is in progress. Youth Mentoring Assisted Pathways – MMVLLENLocation: Kensington
The Mentoring Program's goal is to support young people who are at risk of leaving school and to help them explore educational and employment pathways. The program has been running in schools in the north west of Melbourne since 2002. Mentors meet students for approximately 2 hours per week for a term, usually 10 weeks in a time allocated by the secondary college. Students work with mentors on a student led project which are based around their career interests. Activities including excursions to industry and educational providers are encouraged. Mentors are provided with sample activities and the project co-ordinator and teacher are available during the time the students and mentors are together. Mentors come from many different backgrounds. Some are people who have retired from full time work, parents and business people who can provide time during the day, students who are completing studies, sometimes in education or youth work. Youth Mentoring Program – IELLENLocation: St Kilda
The Inner Eastern Local Learning and Employment Network is a not for profit community agency that provides a range of programs and services to young people. Our focus is particularly young people who have left school early and require assistance in choosing pathway options. The mentoring program is offered to young people at school and young people in out of school education programs. Mentoring AustraliaMentoring Australia is the official website of National Mentoring Association of Australia Inc. Mentoring Australia lists a wide variety of programs from around Australia including Victoria. The website can be access at www.dsf.org.au/mentor/index.htm Leadership Plus86-88 Herbert Street, Northcote, 3070
Leadership Plus is a Victorian community organisation. They promote people with disabilities as leaders. Their focus is on civic participation and inclusion as citizens in Australian society. The contemporary use of mentoring concepts, as a way of developing the capacities of mentees on the one hand, and the understanding of mentors on the other, is a focal point of this Initiative. In having a leadership focus, they are clearly adding to the capacities of people with disabilities to pursue individual lifestyles, build inclusive communities, and lead the way. The involvement of leaders from the business, community, cultural, social, environmental and local government sectors in a relationship with emerging leaders from the disability advocacy sector, will demonstrate how their sectors can benefit by including people with disabilities in their activities. Aims of the Programs:
Tertiary Mentoring ProgramThe Leadership Mentoring Program for tertiary students is designed for tertiary students interested in observing leadership in action in the field of their choice. The partners with Leadership Plus in this program are Willing and Able Mentoring Program (WAM) and the Leadership Victoria 'Skills Bank'. It is a pre-requisite for our Mentoring Program that the mentees have successfully completed the WAM Program. The mentees select an industry that they believe is relevant to their career, and Leadership Plus finds a mentor/leader with the assistance of Leadership Victoria 'Skills Bank'. Leadership Plus has developed a Mentoring Manual with eight mentoring sessions for use by the mentor and mentee. These are to be used as a guide and are not a prescribed process.
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