Each year, the Father James Grant Foundation helps hundreds of young people in their quest to gain meaningful employment. We arm these motivated individuals with the skills, confidence and training they require to enter an increasingly competitive workforce at a time when youth unemployment is at its highest rate in years.
Along the way we work with some of the biggest names in business, partnering with them to provide workplace experience, industry specific skills, and providing access to potential employees keen to be part of their workplace.
This is Mission Engage, and how your business can become involved…
How it works
The Father James Grant Foundation hosts a number of Mission Engage programs each year. Held over four weeks, the programs are designed to increase workplace skills and foster confidence and pride in young people at risk of long-term unemployment.
With a focus on real-world skills, the program partners with business and tailors programs around that organisation’s requirements. This gives young people access to workplace experience, while providing business with the opportunity to see potential employees in action.
The program also aims to foster life skills in young people such as resilience, emotional intelligence and inter-personal communication, further arming them with the necessary traits to obtain meaningful employment now and in the future.
How business can become involved
There are two options for organisations looking to be part of the Mission Engage program. Business can take an active role through work experience and training or make a contribution through sponsorship.
Host the program
Independent businesses and some of Australia’s most renowned organisations alike have been involved in Mission Engage programs over the past few years. These include Crown Casino, Federation Square, Dentsu Mitchells and Myer. Each of these businesses hosted a component of the course at their workplace and also assisted with funding.
Benefits
The benefits of this business partnership are numerous. Not only do young people have access to a real workplace, learning skills and gaining an understanding of employer expectations and workplace culture, but the business involved also has the opportunity to see these potential employees at work.
Alicia Gleeson of Crown noted Mission Engage provided a two-way learning opportunity.
“The program is like a month-long interview where we get to see employees under a number of different circumstances while sharing our industry skills.
“It provided our management with the chance to learn new techniques while our human resourcing team was able to spot young talent and take the opportunity to mould them into an asset for our business.”
Over the past three years many of the businesses involved have tapped into the talent pool developed through Mission Engage in the knowledge the youth involved are trained to their industry standard, have a demonstrated work ethic and a commitment to self improvement.
For businesses such as Fed Square this was just one of many of the benefits, noted Sharon Pollard.
“It’s incredible to open young people’s eyes to what’s possible when working somewhere like Fed Square. We’re a large group with a widely-skilled workforce, and introducing potential employees to our business at the beginning of their careers was extremely rewarding, with many applying.”
Meanwhile Myer’s Louise Tebbett notes the benefits to their business include giving back.
“It’s great for management to have first-hand experience taking youth through the important aspects of our business, leading a team and most importantly, growing and doing something positive. We highly recommend it.”
Sponsor the program
A further way to get involved is to sponsor the program financially. The Father James Grant Foundation appreciates that many organisations would like to be part of the Mission Engage initiative but may not have the facilities to assist with training.
The Foundation is a registered charity with an advisory board and no shareholders. All proceeds provided to the Foundation are targeted specifically at empowering disengaged young people in their quest for meaningful employment.
Money goes to training, providing interview skills, building resilience and fostering confidence.
And according to Dentsu Mitchells’ John Thompson: “Charity work is something that’s always more valuable than you think. Being a part of something so vital and so valuable to both the youth and the businesses involved is something we’re really proud of.”
To be part of Mission Engage or to find out more about becoming involved, contact the Father James Grant Foundation here.
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