Employment Empowers volunteer mentors will support their mentees to:
- Identify and focus on their strengths and interests
- Leverage these strengths and interests to set goals for their career
- Gain clarity about their needs, goals, and future pathways pertaining to employment
- Increase their understanding of the steps needed to enter the workforce in Australia, including:
- Identifying relevant job opportunities
- Preparing CVs, cover letters and KSC documents
- Performing well in interviews
- Navigating workplace culture
- Build confidence, feel supported and feel more prepared for work
Mentors and mentees continue to work together if the mentees secure employment. That’s because, along with supporting young people to overcome the barriers they face entering the workforce, Employment Empowers is committed to creating opportunities for young people to succeed and stay in the workforce.
Download the Volunteer Position Description and click here for an overview of the recruitment process.
Information for volunteers
Experienced professionals – people with a diverse range of work experience in Australia (ideally at least 3 years), who can offer their time, skills, and experience to help prepare newly-arrived young migrants and refugees to find work in Australia. Mentors act as role models to the young people in the program; helping to expand their social and professional networks and inspire their career aspirations.
Migrant and refugee young people experience unique challenges that impact their ability to find, secure, and retain employment in Australia. These challenges can include disrupted schooling, language barriers, and a lack of knowledge about the employment environment and workplace expectations in Australia.
Employment Empowers aims to improve the career outcomes of youth who often find it difficult to secure meaningful, lasting employment in Australia because of diverse and complex challenges.
What will I be doing?
The program provides young people with mentoring support for up to 12 months to help participants adjust to, prepare to enter, and stay in, the workforce in Australia.
As a mentor, you will provide support to your mentee by:
- Encouraging them to recognise and focus on their strengths and interests
- Advising them on ways to identify and work towards their goals
- Supporting them to better understand the processes of looking for and applying to jobs
- Guiding them by sharing your experience working in Australia, thus helping them to better understand the expectations in, and realities of, the workplace
- Assisting them to develop their communication skills relevant to work
How much time do I need to commit?
Mentors need to be able to commit to volunteering for a minimum of 12 months and be willing to travel to a mutually agreed location in Greater Melbourne or meet their mentee online regularly (at least once or twice per month).
In between meetings, mentors should maintain communication with their mentees via phone, text message or email. At the beginning, more regular contact may be required.
Do I need any special skills or training?
We are looking for volunteer mentors from a range of professions and backgrounds who ideally have at least 3 years’ work experience in Australia.
All volunteer mentors take part in a thorough training session as part of their induction. The training provides insight on building trusting mentoring relationships and cross-cultural awareness and communication, especially relating to job-readiness issues.
Otherwise, we require mentors to be positive, supportive, encouraging and patient individuals with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Read the Position Description and
How do I apply?
Please read the Position Description and click here for a quick overview.
To apply, please submit a current resume to employmentempowers@cmy.net.au and complete the online application form.