The Break Through Mentoring Young People for Employment program is designed to compliment and work alongside your own agency programs and initiatives to assist your young people.
Break Through is committed to working in partnership with local Referral Agencies. The main goal of the partnership will be to support and assist the mentee in enhancing their ‘employability”, and break through obstacles to employment.
The structure of the program will encourage the mentee to review all options open to them including:
Break Through offers mentees a unique opportunity to develop a mentor relationship with a respected employee from a local employer. This will plug the mentee into formal and informal employment networks, and provide them with exposure to a wider group of potential employers and referees.
What is mentoring?
Mentoring is the development of an one-on-one relationship where a more experienced person (the mentor) helps a lesser-experienced person (the mentee) reach their employment goals.
Break Through mentors are fully trained people who have completed an accredited TAFE training course and possess extensive skills and hands-on experience gained from years of employment.
Break Through Program background
Break Through is a program that was developed and launched in 2004 to address the issues of youth unemployment in Western Sydney. By utilising local business people as mentors, its major goal is to prepare young people for the workplace.
Break Through was initially a partnership between the Live N Learn Foundation, Liverpool City Council and TAFE NSW – South Western Sydney Institute. The Live N Learn Foundation has been a major ongoing funds provider for the Break Through program. The program has also been supported by funding provided by the Australian Government under its Regional Partnerships Programme.
Break Through is coordinated by a full-time Program Coordinator based in the Break Through Campbelltown office and at the Live N Learn Miller Campus. It is managed by Wade Maher & Associates.
How does the Break Through program work?
Trained and qualified mentors are carefully matched with young people (mentees), based on career background, workplace skills and personal interests. All mentors will have completed an accredited mentoring course conducted by the South West Sydney Institute of TAFE.
Matched mentors and mentees will commit to a minimum of 15 planned meetings, which will usually take place during office hours at the live N Learn Miller Campus, Break Through Campbelltown office, or onsite at a referral agency location.
At these regular meetings, mentors will assist mentees to connect with employment networks and develop a better understanding of workplace behaviour and expectations. It is a relaxed communication, involving activities including workplace visits, assistance in preparing resumes and enhancing job readiness skills by sharing the mentor’s own experiences.
Both the mentee and mentor will be fully supported by the Program Coordinator through the schedule of meetings. The Program Coordinator will work in partnership will the mentee’s nominated support worker.
Who can become a mentor?
Break Through is a voluntary mentoring program. Break Through mentors will be people selected from a variety of employment sectors within the Campbelltown/Macarthur business area.
Mentors undergo a 6-week training course, which will result in you becoming TAFE accredited. You will then be matched with a mentee for the next six months, who you will communicate with regularly.
Potential mentors may be:
- Employees with an ongoing term of service with their employer
- A respected member of the workforce
- Have a broad view of the business in which they are employed
- Understand the company culture and values
Characteristics of an effective employment mentor
- Willing and able to commit time to the program
- Interested in helping and teaching youth
- Able to communicate effectively with youth
- Able to see mentoring as an opportunity rather than an “assignment”
- Sensitive to culturally diverse backgrounds; Non-judgemental
- Capable of encouraging, supporting, motivating and leading others
- Willing to share constructive criticism and feedback in a supportive, sensitive and patient manner
Training for Mentors
Once accepted as a mentor for Break Through, participants undergo TAFE training to become mentors. The course is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills to work effectively in the role of a mentor in a wide variety of community or workplace contexts:
The course includes the following outcomes:
- Mentoring skills in specific contexts;
- Understanding of values and ethics in relation to the mentor role;
- Ability to identify the needs and issues of a particular target group;
- Knowledge of an ability to access appropriate community resources and services;
- Ability to effectively disseminate information; and
- Interpersonal, communication and basic negotiation skills relevant to the mentoring role.
The course will be delivered part-time one day per week (2 hours). The day and time will be determined by mentor preferences. The course will include a six-week theory component followed by a self-paced practical component of mentoring experience.
At the conclusion of the course mentors will receive a TAFE qualification –Outreach mentoring in the Community; National TAFE code 90921 (NSW).
Eligibility guidelines for Mentees
Young People who:
- Live in the Campbelltown/Macarthur area;
- Are between 16-25 years old;
- Have job seeking skills or experience and are receiving support from a community, employment or training agency;
- Are prepared to be committed to the program for up to six months
- Are able to demonstrate that you are ready to move into the workforce
- Would benefit from assistance to achieve your employment goals and are willing to work with a mentor from the local business community
Become an approved Referral Agency
To become an approved Referral Agency for Break Through Mentoring, please contact the Program Coordinator for more information.
- Email: tracy@livenlearn.com.au
- Phone: 02 9608 5401 (Miller) or 02 4627 6864 (Campbelltown)
- Fax: 02 9608 6319 (Miller) or 02 4627 6864 (Campbelltown)
