MENTORS are being sought for a programme which helps young people in Moray to discover and develop their talents to increase their employment options.
The mentoring young talent programme was launched in 2020 by Moray Council and initially focused on secondary school pupils, but it has now been extended to those aged up to 24 years old who are out of work and facing challenges.
Mentors are matched with a young person and provide one-to-one time to boost confidence, offer new experiences, and to gain skills and qualifications.
Christine Fairbairn, mentoring young talent programme coordinator, explained, “We were delighted with the mentoring program we put in place last year which focused on Elgin and Buckie and we are now expanding on this to support young people throughout Moray.
“Mentors need to be able to commit to providing at least an hour of support a week for a 12-month period. Each young person will be matched with an individual mentor who will be an impartial adult to talk to and build a positive relationship with. In previous programmes the young mentees have seen their confidence and self-esteem increase with are personal and professional benefits for the mentor too.”
Tracey Cormack, human resources manager at Diamond Offshore joined the programme as a mentor in 2020. She said, “I joined this program earlier last year and it’s been a thoroughly rewarding program so far. My relationship with my mentee is great. I enjoy the time we spend together and getting to know this young person with so much potential. All it takes is for me to give up an hour of my week, and yes I am as busy as everyone else, but I can find an hour and the potential benefits are incredible. Please consider if you’re based in Moray, I can’t recommend it enough.”
If you are based in Moray and would like to find out more about becoming a mentor or other opportunities within the programme, please email: mentoring@moray.gov.uk
