Whether you’re studying a TAFE, UNI, or Short online course, or engaging in any kind of learning, it’s not always a straightforward process. Without support available, problems risk derailing your progress - which is just one of the reasons why all OCA short courses offer a mentor you contact for help.
What Is The Role Of A Mentor To A Mentee?
It’s probably best to let Sarah Tottle - one of OCA's course mentors, explain…
”Mentoring offers support and expertise to our students. Mentoring can also help motivate and encourage. Having personal mentoring is an asset. You're gaining insight into the mentor's world.
They can also help draw out your qualities and point you in essential directions. I've helped students add to their resume, help them find roles, and given them a boost of motivation.”
Why Is Having A Mentor Important In A Student's Life?
Able to offer not just advice on the short courses they're taking, career counselling, and feedback to help a student develop their work and interpersonal skills, a mentor is an incredibly useful resource. As Sarah states, a personal mentor is a real asset that's there to guide you to success.
Real-World Application Of Knowledge
The help that mentors like Sarah offer is not just theoretical and focused on learning but also centred around what life is really like in the real world.
We'll again let our expert mentor explain the kind of help she's able to offer OCA students…
"I often work with students who send me assignments to demonstrate the real-life application of knowledge learned in our short courses. I'm always happy to provide feedback on ways that students can evolve and develop their skill sets, and I also get involved in encouraging people to apply for voluntary roles.
I've worked for years in the education industry, and I know how valuable the insight I provide is to people just starting out on their career journey. And there's nothing that makes me happier than my help allowing a student to overcome a learning barrier and achieve success".
Motivation & Encouragement
When taking short courses over an extended period of time, there may be days when your motivation isn't quite where it should be. This is another area in which mentors can prove really handy, as Sarah often finds herself providing the extra encouragement a student needs at just the right time.
Sarah explains…
”Sometimes, there are things in a student's life that get in the way of their learning, which can bring progress to something of a standstill. So, I take the time to talk with students, helping them to re-engage and reclaim their motivation. It often doesn't take much - rather just a refocus on the learning objectives and a reminder of their reasons for training".
Mentors are there to offer holistic support that allows them to reach their goals, and motivation is a very important component in the process. It’s only when a person starts learning that the actual value of this kind of support is revealed. The support mentors like Sarah provide can be transformative.
Get The Support You Need As You Learn With OCA
As we can see, mentor support is a great thing to have, and it's something that every student taking OCA training gets 7 days a week. Moreover, our short courses are video-based for easy digestion and delivered in bite-sized modules that can be taken whenever your phone and a spare 10 minutes.
Our training is CPD Endorsed too, with every hour completed counting towards 1 precious CPD point. So, if you'd like to know more about us and what learning with us is like, you can watch our student study demo or visit our website www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au - where you'll find training covers over 20 different industries.
However, if you'd prefer to speak to us directly about any questions you might have, getting in touch with us is easy. Just call us on 1300 611 404 or drop us an email at [email protected], and we’ll be delighted to assist in any way we can.
