Last week, we invited staff from the Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA) to participate in mock interviews with our program participants. Mock interviews are a great opportunity for our young people to immerse themselves in an interview situation and practice answering questions relating to their skills and knowledge in what can seem a daunting experience for some.

Tony, Lenice and Sue played an important mentoring role to our young people on the day and provided them each with constructive feedback. This gave participants both the chance to reflect on their strengths and build their confidence as well as identify ways they can better their interview skills for upcoming opportunities. The LVA staff also offered support in connecting our young people to job opportunities within their own networks, which they were extremely grateful for.

“The young people did very well, it was quite obvious they were very nervous… It is really important to engage in these type of activities as it builds confidence for the young person and it’s a safe environment with no job on the line. It also gives us an idea on the type of jobs some of these young people are looking for and if we hear of anything suitable, we can link them in.” – Tony, Manager Regional Programs – Skills & Workforce Transition, Latrobe Valley Authority

Below are reflections from the program participants following their mock interviews:

"I was very very very nervous. Ladder has helped me be able to talk to people and in front of people. The interviewers at LVA were really nice and made me feel comfortable.” – Tanisha, Ladder program participant

"I felt nervous about the interview but the interviewers from LVA gave me great feedback about my interview skills." – Jack, Ladder program participant

"I was really nervous before the interview but felt more confident and sure of myself afterwards. Ladder has helped me feel confident to turn any negatives into a good thing and weaknesses into a strength." – Sam, Ladder program participant

Thank you to the Latrobe Valley Authority for providing invaluable feedback and opportunities for our young people to become inspired and job ready.