The Way Ahead: mentoring of Aboriginal apprentices and trainees: follow up and assessment

The Way Ahead - Apprenticeships and Traineeships for Aboriginal People is a mentoring program that aims to assist Aboriginal people in New South Wales (NSW) to complete apprenticeships and traineeships. Originally introduced by the now defunct Department of Education and Training’s New Apprenticeship Centre (DETNAC), the program has been run by State Training Services (STS) since July 2007, initially through project funding provided by the NSW Board of Vocational Education and Training (BVET), but now through mainstream program funding. This review was commissioned to delve more deeply into the nature and benefits of the mentoring services provided under The Way Ahead, to explore the perceptions of the key stakeholders (apprentices, trainees, employers and mentors) and to draw conclusions about the true impact of the program on retention. The review found that Aboriginal learners want and need mentors and believe that mentoring can play an important role in helping them to successfully complete their training. Learners who received Way Ahead mentoring were generally very happy with the service and would recommend it to their friends. It appears to be making a difference for these individuals. The program faces two key challenges: (1) timeliness (getting early notice of Aboriginal commencements so that assistance can be provided in the critical early stages of the traineeship or apprenticeship); and (2) participant selection (working out who should receive Way Ahead assistance). A number of recommendations are made. Show less