What is a Mentor?
For the purpose of the Australian Youth Mentoring Network, mentoring aims to provide a structured and trusting relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance, support and encouragement.
(Adapted from Mentor/National Mentoring Partnership and Robyn Hartley's 'Young people and mentoring: towards a national strategy' 2004 Report)
The mentor is not a replacement for a parent, nor are they a counsellor or teacher. They are a sounding board and confidant to the young person.
What is the role of a mentor?
While every mentoring program has a different job description for their mentors they all have one common goal and that is to help a young person fulfil his or her own potential and discover their strengths.
Who can become a mentor?
Any caring adult can become a mentor no matter their life experiences. Characteristics they should possess include good listening and communications skills, patience and be willing to provide support and encouragement to their young mentee.
Where does mentoring take place and what are the different types of mentoring?
The mentoring relationship can be take place in different settings:
- School. Mentoring occurs on the school premises.
- Community. Mentoring occurs within the local community, utilising community spaces such as parks, cafés, libraries etc.
- Workplace. Mentoring occurs on the business premises.
- Other Site. Mentoring occurs in other site based locations including but not limited to universities, juvenile justice centres, youth centres, football clubs etc.
There are two types of delivery methods:
- Face to face. The mentoring sessions are held in person, face to face.
- E-mentoring. Electronic mentoring uses technology to connect the mentor with the young person. This can be text based or utilising Voice over IP (Internet Protocol) and video technology.
Mentoring can focus on particular areas including:
- Social and emotional wellbeing. Mentoring to assist young people to increase their self-esteem, self-efficacy and resilience by actively supporting their social and emotional wellbeing. The focus includes improving both the young person’s life skills and the positive connections they have with their community.
- Individual talents and leadership. Mentoring to assist young people to further develop their individual talents and/or leadership skills in a specific area (e.g. sports, photography, drama) in order for them to reach their full potential.
- Identity, culture and faith. Mentoring to assist young people to grow in their understanding of their faith and/or culture and cultural identity. The program actively supports young people to be proud and confident of their identity and culture and to be able to exercise this in their community.
- Youth justice and crime prevention. Mentoring to assist young people to avoid anti-social and offending behaviours by encouraging connectedness with positive elements in their community and increasing protective factors.
- Education, training and employment. Mentoring to assist young people to positively engage in and maintain their participation in education, training and employment. These programs assist young people to develop a vision for their future and provide support to achieve their education, training and career goals.
There are also different types of mentoring relationships:
- One to one. One mentor matched with one young person.
- Group. One mentor matched with up to four young people (If the ratio is greater than 1:4, this is no longer considered quality mentoring^).
- Team. Two or more mentors matched with one young person.
How can you find a mentoring program in your area?
By clicking on the 'How to be a Mentor' section at the top of this page you will be able to locate a program in your local area.
What can I expect in the recruitment process?
As with any job, becoming a mentor will require you to complete a recruitment process. Expect to be asked to:
- complete a written application form
- take part in an interview
- provide a minimum of two character references
- Permit a criminal record check (national police check) to be carried out.
What is Criminal Record Check?
- a check of relevant criminal records;
- a check of relevant Apprehended Violence Orders; and
- a check of relevant employment proceedings
Do you receive training?
Any organisation for which you volunteer should provide you with an orientation session and some form of training before you starting mentoring. In some programs this training is provided in-house while other programs utilise the TAFE system and have their mentors complete an 8-week accredited course. The training helps you become more confident in the role and understand the program that they're joining.
How long do you need to commit to a program?
Most programs require a minimum of 12 months commitment to the program and includes meeting with your mentee once a week for 1-2 hours. If you are in a community based program you can be asked to spend up to 4 hours a week with your mentee.
How does mentoring help?
There has been a great deal of international research carried out on the benefits of mentoring to a young person. Research by Tierney and Grossman1 and Dubois et al2 has shown that young mentees are less likely to become involved in criminal activity, drug and alcohol abuse or to leave school early. Instead they are more likely to have improved academic performance and have better relationships with their teachers and family compared to their peers who are not mentored.
