Preparing young people with skills, knowledge and confidence to take on the current job market can be a real community effort. Remember your first interview? Pretty daunting wasn’t it? Now imagine you come from a disadvantaged background. Luckily there are organisations out there trying to help young people bridge the sometimes sizable gap between school and employment.
During September the Maribyrnong and Moonee Valley Local Learning and Employment Network (MMVLLEN) coordinated an Industry Practise Interview day for 85 Year 10 – 12 students from four local schools, including one Special needs school, with 25 volunteer interviewers getting involved from a range of industries.
Each student participated in a 25 minute face-to-face practise interview with their assigned local employer or community organisation representative, a valuable and interesting experience for both parties.
A representative from disability support services organisation Extended Families said “They did so well, it has to be hard coming in here, facing a stranger across a table and going into self-promotion mode if you’re not used to it.”
Lisa Price of MacKillop Education Services added: “It was enlightening to meet such a diverse range of young people… each once stepping outside their comfort zone and graciously responding to feedback. I think that I gained more than the students. It was a wonderful experience.”
Overall, the day was a great success. Feedback from the students and their teachers was very positive, and the interviewers were delighted to be involved and were inspired by many of the students they interviewed.
Maribyrnong and Moonee Valley Local Learning and Employment Network (MMVLLEN) is not-for-profit (NFP) organisation set up in 2001 as a place-based organisation with the role of improving education, training and employment options for young people, focussing on those who are less likely to successfully transition from school to the next stage of their lives and careers.
You can follow MVLLEN via facebook.com/LocalLearningAndEmploymentNetwork
