What do schools think of the Myroad Mentorship Program?

A joint initiative between the Beacon Foundation and Coca-cola Australia, the online Myroad Mentorship Program connects school students and industry leaders Australia-wide.

Kings Meadows High School (TAS) Educator: Emma Dobson

Q. Why did your school take part in Myroad? The overwhelming feedback from the previous year.

Opportunity to empower young women. Opportunity to engage with a business mentor. Q. What benefits have the students experienced? [It] started a conversation for students about skills and attributes needed for the workplace [and] initiated conversations with teachers/ parents/peers.

The feedback from students was extremely positive and the feedback from student data collected from the Myroad team reflected this.

The use of splitters enabling groups of students to work together in the activity increased student engagement. Q. Feedback from teachers and parents about the program? Teachers reported that students were well engaged in the sessions and students were having conversations afterwards.

Teachers also benefited from the sessions, as it supported them with talking to the girls about career and life planning. Q. Do you think the program compliments the work of school career advisors? As per the My Education framework, all teachers at Kings Meadows High School are teachers of career and life planning.

We do not have a careers advisor; instead, all staff bring with them a unique set of skills and experiences which enable them to explore career and further education options with young people.

The teachers who were involved in the Myroad program felt as though they benefited from this and now have a greater understanding of the key role a mentor can play in increasing

Adelaide Secondary School of English (SA) Educator: Koula Giannini

Q. Why did your school take part in Myroad? We are always keen to involve our students in new experiences.

I saw this as a unique opportunity for the girls in our school to experience the technology that is available to students to increase and improve their learning from people around Australia; not only from the traditional teacher standing at the front of the class instructing.

I also saw it as a way for our students who have limited networks to experience talking and getting to know someone from another part of the country and to hear and talk about jobs and careers that they may not have heard of, or know anyone that is involved in them. Q. What benefits have the students experienced? I think that the main benefit is the broadening of their knowledge about jobs and careers, and the discussion of skills that are required for employment from other people – the mentors – and not their teachers.

It brought a level of authenticity to the discussions and learning that they had already completed in their PLP but delivered by someone that was out of the classroom. Q. How have online students format? responded to the They were very excited about the technology and the format, it was a very different way of interacting with their learning.

They were keen to complete the worksheets as they progressed through the session, they provided positive feedback at the end, and were very happy that they were able to keep the headphones.

It was great to have the technical support that was provided from Myroad Beacon to trouble shoot any problems with the online format. Q. What advice would you give other schools looking to make connections with industry mentors? I would encourage schools to participate in this program.

It is very well supported by the personnel from My Road Beacon, the material is very user friendly and relevant, and the students get a lot out of it for limited time outlay (2 hours), and very little organisation from the school’s point of view. Q. Do you think the program compliments the work of school career advisors? For schools that have Career Advisors, it certainly compliments their work.

It also compliments the PLP, Work Studies and student interest in expanding their knowledge on career exploration.

Hellyer College (TAS)

Educator: Jane Roper

Q. Why did your school take part in Myroad? Positive feedback from both staff and students at another school (Parklands High). It was another opportunity for students to connect with the “real world”.

[We] highly recommend Myroad to any school who wants to raise student aspirations and increase students’ knowledge of the opportunities available to them when they leave school. Q. How have students responded to the online format? Most students engaged well – the online format is potentially less threatening than face to face meetings.

Students are not pushed as far out of their comfort zones. Q. Feedback from teachers about the program? The two teachers who did Myroad with their classes this year also did it last year and spoke highly of the program.

They wouldn’t have done it again this year if they didn’t see any value for their students. Q. What advice would you give other schools looking to make connections with industry mentors? Get as much help as you can. Organisations like Beacon take a lot of the hard work out of making industry connections.

Staff have great knowledge of local industry and excellent networks of employers/ community members/educators (uni, TAFE etc). Most schools want more connection with industry and industry wants to assist young people.

Beacon can pull the two together which is something that school staff don’t always have time to do. Q. Do you think the program compliments the work of school career advisors? Definitely – [it’s] always good for students to have career conversations with a range of people.