The transition into an adult learning environment has been made easier thanks to a new Mentoring Program.
North Coast TAFE’s Port Macquarie Campus’s program is run through the Student Association and signs up members that have already been through their first year of study to ‘buddy’ up with new students that request assistance or look like they might be struggling with their new way of life.
The service was adopted after one of last year’s Community Services graduates, Jodie Holland, presented the idea as part of her major assessment.
She realised that students would often liaise with their class mates to gather information on campus life and services available to them.
“The concept behind the program is to provide highly visible contacts that can take some of the pressure off teaching staff,” Jodie said.
“All mentors receive an identification badge and although the teachers are always helpful and supportive, these new roles give the students someone to lean on that has been in their shoes.”
The Port Macquarie Campus currently has 11 mentors, with a strong focus on supportive team work and are open for further recruitments.
Mentors are introduced at the Orientation sessions, where students also receive a ‘Student Survival Guide’ providing tips on relevant issues such as living out of home, where to go for help and contacting a diverse range of information and community services.
