A 14-day pre-employment program with Mission Engage has proven a great success for our young job seekers in Melbourne, with eight participants securing work with Mission Engage’s corporate partners and other employers.
Since August 2021, Jobfind has enrolled 18 young job seekers into the Mission Engage Youth Program.
What is the Mission Engage Youth Program?
The 2-week Mission Engage Youth Program aims to provide youth with practical skills, psychological support, workplace experience and mentoring. Corporate partners who participate in the program include large employers like Crown Hotels, Myer and Wilson Security.
Specifically designed for 18–22-year-olds, the pre-employment program connects young job seekers with corporate partners who offer work site visits and interview preparation skills.
The program benefits employers, too, who enjoy the opportunity to represent their career opportunities to motivated job seekers.
“A pre-employment program like this builds young job seekers’ confidence to work while also giving them access to employers who are looking for talent. It’s a win:win,” says Raf Matta, Jobfind Youth Engagement Coach.
Participants in the pre-employment program attend Crown College at Southbank for six hours per day over the 2-week period. Sessions are tailored to participating employers so that job seekers get unique industry insights and exposure.
Participants experience:
- Practical skills – professional behaviour, time management, organisational skills
- Physical activities – to build confidence and pride in capabilities and appearance
- Psychological support – to develop mental health, resilience and emotional intelligence
- Workplace experience – real-world insights and visits to workplaces
- Mentoring – introduction to industry role models offering tips, support and networking
The ‘foot-in-the-door’ approach gives disadvantaged job seekers direct access to real-world employers committed to helping young people build their careers.
Real-world experience with employers
The professional networking opportunities in Mission Engage’s program are invaluable to job seekers who have had very little exposure to employers in the past.
“It elevates the candidate’s opportunities to secure employment, which is very important in a competitive jobs market, especially for young people who start from a position of disadvantage,” says Raf.
With insider tips, candidates learn how to write a winning job application, dress for success, and build their professional profile and reputation in industries.
A popular session is delivered by the Myer recruitment team and covers practical information such as common errors job applicants make, as well as the opportunity to express interest in working for Myer.
Jobfind identifies ideal program participants from its caseload of young job seekers in the Melbourne area.
Javey Assad is the Business Manager at Jobfind Airport West and is happy to invest in her young clients’ attendance. “These job seekers are so lucky to be able to get those corporate connections and spend one-on-one time with them,” says Javey.
L to R: Joel Whitehead, Jodi Mills Program Director, Varia Biban, Patricia Garris, Raf Matta Jobfind Youth Engagement Coach and Javey Assaad Jobfind Business Manager Airport West
Creating more job opportunities for young people
Jobfind continues to collaborate with Mission Engage as partners in Jobfind’s Youth Employment Consortium, established in August 2021 with the bold goal of supporting 5,000 young people into jobs.
Members of the Youth Employment Consortium regularly collaborate to create innovative opportunities for youth to acquire skills and jobs.
On the Mission Engage and Jobfind collaboration, Raf says:
“The program has a very high direct recruitment rate. It is a proven pathway to employment for our job seekers.”
