Mentors – Project Ready

Become a Mentor

Are you good at understanding young people and would like to give your time to a game changing program?

Project Ready is always on the lookout for volunteers who have a passion for helping young people discover their self-worth, develop life and job skills and form career pathways.

Are you 18 years or older, hold a current Working With Children Card and willing to commit to half a day per week for at least two terms? Project Ready also welcomes adult student work placement applicants from courses such as youth work, community services, mental health and psychology.

CONTACT US to obtain a volunteer mentor position description.

Your Role

Project Ready students often require additional support and direction to help them re-engage with their education and prepare for the future. A mentor’s role is to support the program facilitator and assist students with literacy, wellbeing, life coaching and career planning.

Project Ready groups are usually comprised of between 15 and 20 students who are mostly in years 10-12. These students are at the beginning of their vocational pathway, and at the stage when crucial decision making about their futures takes place. If you can remember what it was like to be 15, we’d love to hear from you!

Project Ready Pedagogy

Project Ready is big on ‘groupness’. Our mentors play a huge role in helping students feel part of a team, safe, connected and valued without fear of punishment, judgement or belittlement.

To find our more about how we run things in Project Ready, click on the Project Ready Relational Pedagogy flyer.

"It was nice to give practical advice, encouragement and support. I hope the students learned something from my experience and message."

"Mentoring youth in project ready as rotarians, we have the opportunity to show students firstly they are cared for and well thought of. We then how to become leaders good citizens and to go about supporting developing their local community’s in the future. This is a learnt skill and it’s a blessing to be able to hand such knowledge on it makes the world a better place for us all."

"Project Ready programs are an opportunity to keep teens engaged at school whilst also showing them the benefits of broadening their experience in the community through volunteering. Personally, being involved as a mentor is a great way to stay connected to our youth and how they are feeling about the world and how we might be able to shape their view to a more positive one."

“Being a mentor to me is very rewarding. The youth are our future and I've personally lived with past family issues while in survival mode; school drop-out, battling low numeracy and literacy, and trauma. So I want to be that someone I needed when I was younger to our students at Project Ready and support them through year 10 to try and figure out who they are or what career pathways they can choose”

How it works

Training Venue

Project Ready is generally run outside the school in a venue such as a community house. This can help simulate an adult working environment and support community and industry involvement.

Time Commitment

Project Ready spans the entire school year. Sessions run one day per week from about 9:00am – 3:00pm.
We ask that mentors and students on placement commit to a minimum of two terms.

Professional Development

Mentors and students on placement have access to a range of funded professional development opportunities including group work facilitation training, trauma informed education training and peer-to-peer support sessions.

Prerequisites

You need to be 18+ years of age, hold a current Working With Children Card, love working with teenagers and be prepapred to commit to a group for at least two terms.

Insurance

Mentors and students on placement are insured by the LLEN for all Project Ready activities. They are covered by public liability insurance to the value of $20 million provided by VMIA. CONTACT US to obtain a copy of the policy.

Confidentiality

Facilitators and mentors are required to sign a confidentiality agreement in order to protect the intellectual property of the program.

CONTACT US for the following documents;

Volunteer Mentor Position Description
Confidentiality Agreement

Can’t find what you are looking for?
Get in touch with the Project Ready team.

Ready to make a difference?

If you are interested in becoming a mentor or would just like to find out more about the program, please contact the Project Ready team.