The Beacon Foundation is a national, not for profit organisation that works in more than 180 secondary schools across Australia, inspiring students to either stay in school and increase their educational engagement or choose a positive pathway that leads to employment.

Driven by a dedicated team of Year 10 Beacon Student Ambassadors, the program provides invaluable opportunities for students to engage with local business within the community and wider Maroondah Council region to explore future employment and careers pathways.

The Beacon Foundation takes a preventative approach to youth unemployment by providing high impact programs aimed to inspire students to find a career they will enjoy. The Beacon Foundation’s vision is for an Australia that understands, cares and is motivated to support young people to successfully transition from education to meaningful employment.

Melba College has had a long and positive history with the Beacon Foundation. We have successfully run their programs and students have been inspired from the mentoring and advice given to them by our local community business volunteers

Melba Beacon Programs

• Networking Breakfast and Speed Careers
  • This breakfast has two functions. One to thank our business volunteers for coming and sharing their stories with our students, and for businesses to network, and get to know one another better.
• Speed Career
  • This program is aimed at students hearing not only about specialist careers but the career journey these people have taken. Year after year students are inspired by the passion for what our volunteers do and how hard they have worked to get to where they are today.
  • A highlight in 2016 was when each volunteer gave their one piece of advice for our students to consider for their future. Our students came away inspired to invest in their studies.
• Polish Day – Preparing for Work Experience
  • On our Polish Day our students learn the necessary things about being “work experience ready”. This involves participating in a number of sessions aimed at developing:
  • Presentation and Communication skills
  • How to deal with different personalities in the workplace
  • Teamwork
  • Critical Thinking
• Mock Interviews                                                                                                          
  • This is the chance for our students to put their knowledge and skills to the test. In their weekly careers class students prepare a written application for a job of their choice and then our business volunteers come back and interview them for the job. Each student receives feedback and advice for future interviews.
• Charter Signing
  • This is our Celebration Day. A time for us to reflect on the programs and to sign the Charter. Students by signing the Charter are committing to staying in some sort of education until the end of year 12.