The Aim of Diverge:
Give young people the skills to discover
their dream career path.

Young people are expected to know exactly what they want to do with their lives before they’ve even picked their senior year subjects. This pressure can create anxiety in young people who haven’t been given a chance to explore what they’re interested in and how that fits into the world of work.

The idea behind this program was to teach young people how to really think about where their interests and abilities lie and uncover what real-world careers align with that. AND get them connected with mentors in those industries.

We piloted the program in 2017 and received a lot of promising feedback. This year we were able to come back with a refined approach. With the financial support of SEEK and in partnership with RoadTrip Nation, we delivered Diverge to 70 new participants.

Here’s the results:

After the workshop attendees felt more aware of their interests and values, and more motivated to find a meaningful career.

Prior to the workshop more that half of the group were “less than”/”not” confident of having a fulfilling career. After the workshops, all but two participants felt confident in their ability to find a fulfilling career.

Prior to the workshop over half of the group (56%+) were not very hopeful about their future. Following the workshop a large majority (95%) were hopeful or extremely hopeful for their future.

The program was a success. The students walked away feeling more hopeful about their future, more informed about their career possibilities and more confident in their own abilities.

Why it worked:

1. 1. Carefully crafted activities gave the participants the opportunity to connect with each other and establish an open atmosphere.
   2. Participants found the Reach facilitators relatable and the industry mentors inspiring.

Participants were exposed to new information and were able to build understanding through sharing.

What we would do differently next time:

1. 1. Make sure all teachers involved in recruitment have a good understanding of the program, to better identify the students that would benefit most.
   2. Our marketing targeted Year levels, but it would have been more appropriate to target 15 – 17 year olds.
   3. Work more closely with schools during the program to ensure things like transportation are confirmed, so as not to place too much of a logistical burden on the schools.
   4. Further refine the integration of Reach’s facilitation approach with RoadTrip Nation’s framework to ensure each element of the workshop is fully aligned.

Hope you found this interesting!