2009 is upon us and, not unexpectedly, our funding has been cut. This has meant that the GR8 MATES program has had to cease while plans are put in place for the development of the program in the future.
Fortunately, GR8 MATES has received a one year grant from the Federal Government to pilot a new program with a strong career focus. The program will be school-based, but, instead of catering for the students who are beginning to disengage from school, it is open to any students aged 13 to 19 who want to follow one of the professions or trades identified as a skill shortage area in Australia (a list of these is provided). The program will only operate for about 14 weeks for each match and it will also involve group mentoring. I sense the mentors will be more like coaches than genuine mentors, one of my concerns about this type of program.
Fortunately, GR8 MATES has received a one year grant from the Federal Government to pilot a new program with a strong career focus. The program will be school-based, but, instead of catering for the students who are beginning to disengage from school, it is open to any students aged 13 to 19 who want to follow one of the professions or trades identified as a skill shortage area in Australia (a list of these is provided). The program will only operate for about 14 weeks for each match and it will also involve group mentoring. I sense the mentors will be more like coaches than genuine mentors, one of my concerns about this type of program.
Overall the government wants 90 students mentored by at least 30 mentors.
The new GR8 MATES 4 Students program has been launched. There will be more of a career focus, as mentioned, and all mentors and students will be issued with the new Student's Manual. We hope to have a couple of mentors mentor a group of students while the other relationships will be 1:1 at this stage.
The email link could become a key component of this new program - time will tell.
The funding is nowhere near sufficient to cover the cost of setting up and running an effective youth mentoring program, but thanks to the fact that GR8 MATES is already established and being Program Coordinator is only part of my job, it is possible to run this new pilot.
We will also be aiming to recruit semi-retired and retired people with experience in a number of trades, as well as folk with experience in the health industry. Therein will be the challenge.
The new GR8 MATES 4 Students program has been launched. There will be more of a career focus, as mentioned, and all mentors and students will be issued with the new Student's Manual. We hope to have a couple of mentors mentor a group of students while the other relationships will be 1:1 at this stage.
The email link could become a key component of this new program - time will tell.
The funding is nowhere near sufficient to cover the cost of setting up and running an effective youth mentoring program, but thanks to the fact that GR8 MATES is already established and being Program Coordinator is only part of my job, it is possible to run this new pilot.
We will also be aiming to recruit semi-retired and retired people with experience in a number of trades, as well as folk with experience in the health industry. Therein will be the challenge.
