The Mentoring 2 Work (M2W) program was designed to assist unemployed young people find work through mentoring support. Delivered under the Australian Government Department of Social Services Try, Test and Learn Grant, it provided one-on-one mentoring support to unemployed young adults with a focus on career-exploration, job-readiness and looking for, and finding, a job.

This report is not a ‘how to’ guide on how to run mentoring programs; there is a wealth of resources available that outline effective mentoring practice. Instead, this document closely outlines the M2W program, and draws on implementation evaluation learnings to describe how it was planned, structured and most effectively delivered.

The report is divided into two main parts. The first part discusses employment mentoring and presents the M2W program model. This is followed by a discussion on Program Design, Program Operation and Program Evaluation. The focus then turns to Implementation, covering the various elements of program delivery, including: Program Marketing and Participant Recruitment; Participant Screening; the Matching Process; Participant Training; Mentoring Activities; Ongoing support from Program Staff; Program Closure.