Young leaders and businesses unite

Narrabri Rotaract has set the bar for young leadership and initiative after their successful mentorship program was approved for another term at Narrabri High School.

In collaboration with Narrabri Industrial Network (NIN) businesses, the program aims to inspire next generation school leavers entering the workforce by giving them the tools to soar in their prospective careers, while bringing awareness to opportunities and industries in the Narrabri region.

President of Rotaract, Kodey Stanford whose own impressive trajectory as business development manager for NIN, said her career blossomed in Narrabri, and she wanted kids to be aware of the support available from their community.

“There is a major misconception that students have to leave town to pursue their dreams and we want them to know what opportunities are right on their doorstep,” said Ms Stanford.

“There was so much talk around town about starting something like this, and when we reached out to our network, we got an unbelievable response.”

The first term’s sessions were a combination of 20-minute guest speakers from community businesses followed by skill-building workshops on networking, resume-writing, communicating professionally, and interviewing, amongst other things.

“I’m so proud of these kids and how fast they have transformed in such a short time. Some of them wouldn’t look me in the eye when we started, and now they’re asking questions and want our feedback,” said Ms Stanford.

The program even got a thumbs up from inspirational speaker Michael Crossland who heard about the initiative after delivering a guest speech at Narrabri High School and insisted on chatting with the Rotaract members and mentees.

President of NIN and owner of JA Solutions, Justin Smith got involved too, delivering a presentation about business and giving back to the community.

“I take my hat off to the Rotaract crew for seeing an issue, being proactive with the next generation, and doing something for these kids’ future,” said Mr Smith.

“The program is great for students because they get to know businesses in the area and that we’re here to support them, and it benefits the region because there is a real shortage of workers.”

Samantha Lubke-Wood with high school students Maddi Condon, Holly Ford, Marlin Ryman, Jesse Weekes, Matthew Evans and Piper Williams.

Amanda Brown from JE & AG Brown Mechanical Repairs spoke to the students about the process of starting a business and called the mentorship program a breath of fresh air.

“The year 11 and 12 students were very engaged and genuinely interested in what we had to offer them each time we met,” said Mrs Brown.

“It is great to be a part of a program that really wants to help kids find a path after school life. I hope this initiative takes off in other areas and even for year 9 and 10 students in the future.”

Among other guest speakers were Samantha Lubke-Wood and Miranda Broekman speaking about opportunities at ARTC Inland Rail, and 19-year-old Rotaract member Bree Johnson on pathways.

Next term will introduce C&W Financial services who have already signed up for seminars and on-the-job experience, as well as WTC Group, Specialised Civil Services and Sierratek.

Thirteen students attended the mentorship last term and after gaining approval to continue the program, Rotaract hopes to see more businesses and community groups get onboard.

“If I had this opportunity in school I would have definitely been intrigued,” said Ms Stanford.

“I got to where I am today because of community support, good rapport with my career advisor, and if my parents or I didn’t understand something, having the confidence to find the answers.”