Formal mentoring aims to provide young people with support and guidance through planned relationships with positive adult and peer role models; it does so within a framework which includes experienced and qualified staff and trained volunteers.
A large volunteer effort in Australia supports mentoring for young people from primary school age to young adulthood and from very diverse backgrounds. Formal mentoring is based in communities, in schools and other sites; it is funded by federal and state governments. Corporate and business support for mentoring of young people is at present relatively small compared to some other western countries, however there are some effective partnerships with community agencies and evidence of growing interest in the area.
It is time to promote and support a broader concept of mentoring than has been evident in Australia to date, and to foster cross-fertilisation of what is known about successful mentoring with other current developments and policy frameworks. For example, mentoring is integral to the larger policy framework of encouraging young people to maintain contact with education, training and employment. It has considerable potential to improve understanding and communication across different age groups and to strengthen common bonds between generations at a time when there is potential for divisiveness.
In addition, quality mentoring for young people contributes to networking and community strengthening, builds on and enhances youth development frameworks and positively focuses on young people’s skills and contributions to society.
It is time for a coordinated, resourced approach to mentoring. In countries where mentoring for young people has expanded beyond short-term programs, a broad approach and underlying support for ongoing development of mentoring has been necessary. The available evidence suggests that a primarily purchaser-provider relationship between government and agencies providing services has very real limitations for moving forward to a more integrated concept of mentoring, creating a climate of sustainability, ensuring long term benefit and fostering innovation and good practice.
There are well-established effective models on which to build a national approach. The range of agencies and the number of young people involved in mentoring has grown considerably in recent years and there is public interest in its possibilities. A strong national strategy is needed to support organisations and individuals working in the field, to encourage local initiatives, and to ensure that resources are used for the best possible outcomes.
AUTHOR: Robyn Hartley
Link: The Dusseldorp Skills Forum – Young People and Mentoring: Towards a National Strategy
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