Minsiter Garrett closes the Australian Youth Mentoring Conference
Peter Garrett
posted Thursday, 11 November 2010
180 national and international delegates were treated to the closing statement made by the Minister for Youth, Peter Garrett today at the Australian Youth Mentoring Conference on the Gold Coast.
Not only did delegates hear from Mr Garrett but also experts from the United States of America, New Zealand and Australia. They also worked with these experts to provide future youth policy development guidance on mentoring as a sustainable youth development model.
The Minister praised the Australian Youth Mentoring Network, Australia’s peak mentoring body, for bringing together leading speakers and raising awareness of the importance mentoring brings to the lives of young Australians.
“Mentoring is one of the most effective ways to keep students in school and engaged with education,” Mr Garrett said
“Mentoring provides one-to-one support for students encompassing guidance on study, school, homework, career and financial planning advice and importantly, social and emotional support for those at greater risk of falling through the cracks.
“Keeping Australian students at school, engaged and working towards attaining a Year 12 or equivalent qualification is the aim of the Australian and all state and territory governments.
The Australian Government is proud to be a partner of the Australian Youth Mentoring Network, the peak mentoring body that fosters best practice in youth mentoring activities in Australia. The Australian Government provides funding of $600 000 over three years from 2009 to 2012.
This funding allows the Network to continue its vital core work—supporting a vast network of youth mentoring practitioners, upholding national standards, setting benchmarks, and enhancing the quality of mentoring programs by providing tools, training and professional development.
Minister Garrett urged the conference delegates to take what they had learnt from those with international and national expertise in youth mentoring. He encouraged mentors to use the networks they developed to share their expertise to continue to provide the highest quality of support to the young people they mentor and the mentor programs they run.
Tags: Youth