Female carers who have been out of the workforce for some time or want to train for a more sustainable job often lack experience and confidence in how to present themselves as an attractive candidate.
COTA Victoria’s Women Working Together pilot program is designed to support female carers aged 50+ along with their training and employment pathway. The pilot includes recruiting and training experienced women to become mentors and matching them with women looking to re-enter the workforce or retrain for a more sustainable job.
Together we will build on the confidence and skills needed for female carers to apply for a job and help break down the barriers to finding employment.
Why should I become a Mentee?
If you have been out of the workforce for some time or not getting enough work, we are keen to support you to find sustainable employment or to re-train.
We will provide you with training to help you understand your strengths, skills, and employment goals and find the support you need to reach your goals.
As part of the program, you will be matched with a trained mentor to build to support you on your employment pathway.
You can join the program as a mentee if you are:
- A female carer aged 50+ who is seeking support to help you to reskill and/or support to find sustainable paid work
- Willing to participate in approximately 3hrs of facilitated induction training (face-to-face or online)
- Available 2-4hrs per month to meet up with your mentor for a minimum of 6 months
- Living in the North and Western suburbs of Melbourne (Including Greater Bendigo, Brimbank, Hume, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley, Moreland and Wyndham LGA’s)
You are a carer if you are: someone who provides unpaid care and support to family members and friends who have a disability, mental illness, chronic condition, terminal illness, an alcohol or other drug issue or people who are frail aged.
Women from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, migrants and refugees and/or women with a disability are encouraged to apply.
Click here to Express your Interest in becoming a Mentee
Why should I become a Mentor?
Becoming a Mentor will allow you to use your professional skills and lived experience to support other women in your community. We will provide training to build your mentoring skills and expand on your community leadership abilities.
Our Mentor training program will give you the tools and resources you need to coach your mentee on their employment pathway.
We are looking for women who are:
- Passionate about supporting other women to get back into the workforce
- Looking to upskill their mentoring skills
- Willing to participate in approximately 8-10hrs of facilitated mentor training (face-to-face or online)
- Are available 2-4hrs per month to support your mentee for a minimum of 6 months
- Willing to train and meet in the North and Western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria (Including Greater Bendigo, Brimbank, Hume, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moonee Valley, Moreland and Wyndham LGA’s)
Women from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, migrants and refugees and/or women with a disability are encouraged to apply.
Click here to Express your Interest in becoming a Mentor
Key Dates
| Date | Activity |
| TBA | Mentor/Mentee Applications Open for 2023 program |
| TBA | Mentor and Mentee Induction and Training |
| TBA | Mentor/Mentee Matching |
| TBA | Mentorship support |
Contact Us
For more information, contact Katharine Spencer at COTA Victoria directly on 03 9655 2142 or via email KSpencer@cotavic.org.au.