Expanding MyRoad program for Year 10-12 girls needs more mentors

Blacktown Girls High School are some of the 3200+Year 10-12 girls that have completed the MyRoad mentoring program

Now in its second year, the MyRoad program is growing and needs more mentors willing to conduct two-hour  mentoring sessions for girls in Years 10-12 wanting to know how make the most of their career opportunities after finishing their secondary education.

The online program connects young women across the country with representatives from diverse industries and occupations to offer guidance and help students transition into meaningful employment. Through videoconferencing sessions, volunteer mentors guide a small group of female students through a two-hour, interactive work readiness program.

Highlighting the need for the program in Australia, the MyRoad Careers Survey conducted in late 2017 found 1-in-3 girls in years 10-12 believe boys will have more career opportunities than them, with half of teenage girls believing their gender could stand in the way of their career.

Almost all students who participated in 2017 claiming they felt more work-ready thanks to the program. The program is particularly important to those in rural and regional areas, with the independent study revealing half of female students living outside of capital cities make their career choices alone.

Since MyRoad’s launch

• 3200+ girls in Australian high schools have completed the MyRoad mentoring program
• 200 MyRoad mentor sessions have been run online
• 296 business professionals across Australia have registered as MyRoad mentors
• 150 companies with employees have registered as MyRoad mentors.

How MyRoad sessions work

MyRoad sessions are completed via Zoom technology, meaning mentors don’t need to leave their desks.

     - 3-to-5 students interact with one mentor per session
     - Sessions run for two hours, within class time
     - MyRoad sessions are comprised of six modules to set students up for success:

          o Motivation – 30 minutes
          o Curiosity – 15 minutes
          o Digital communications – 15 minutes
          o Effective relationships – 15 minutes
          o Resilience – 15 minutes
          o Celebration and reflection – 30 minutes

MyRoad is aligned to ‘General Capabilities’ and ‘Work Studies’ in the Australian Curriculum.

MyRoad is an online mentoring initiative funded through the Coca-Cola 5by20 Initiative and delivered by the Beacon Foundation. MyRoad's new Ambassador is Emma Isaacs, a MyRoad mentor herself (and a mum of five!), she is the global CEO of Business Chicks, an empowerment hub for female entrepreneurs.

But it’s not just women supporting women, Carl Harris, managing partner of Deloitte Tasmania believes everyone should be a mentor: “You don't have to be a CEO of a major organisation, you don't have to have 20 different stories and 25 years of experience to be a MyRoad mentor. You've got life skills and you've had challenges and you've overcome them. You can impart that to a group of people who are really just starting out on their journey.”

The Beacon Foundation is encouraging potential mentors to sign-up to MyRoad at www.ebeacon.net.au/myroad.