You can help by mentoring a young person in the Campbelltown/Macarthur area to progress their career path. It is a wonderful way to contribute to the local community and improve the skills set of young people preparing for full-time work.
Break Through is tackling youth unemployment practically by matching young people with local business people and employees who are willing to share their workplace knowledge.
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 is a program of the Live N Learn Foundation. In South Western Sydney it has been supported through partnerships with TAFE NSW – South Western Sydney Institute and Liverpool, Campbelltown and Camden Councils. The program has been supported by funding from the Australian Government through the DOTARS Regional Partnership Programme and FaHCSIA Local Answers and Community Investments funds.
Break Through is coordinated by a full-time Program Coordinator based in the Break Through Campbelltown office.
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 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 9-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 nine-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
This is the same as on the mentees page – do we copy it here or link to it? Need the mentor to also easily access it.
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
How do I find out more or apply to become a Mentor?
Please contact the Program Coordinator for a Mentor Information Pack, including an Expression of Interest form.
