eBeacon

MyRoad is a two-hour videoconferencing session where industry volunteer mentors guide a small group of female secondary school students in Years 10 to 12 through a two-hour, interactive work readiness program.

More information about Beacon’s MyRoad program is available here.

Yes. Beacon Foundation’s MyRoad pilot in 2016 saw 980 students participate in the 51 programs that were delivered in 35 schools across the nation. Since then, more than 5,700 young people and more than 145 schools have participated. Coca-Cola has provided further funding to continue the program throughout 2019 and 2020.

Step 1: Registration

Go to https://app.ebeacon.net.au/register/my-road to register. Don’t forget to complete all parts of your profile, including the ‘About me’ section, and upload a headshot photo!

Step 2: Working with Children Check

Please include your WWCC details in your profile. If you don’t already have a WWCC, click here for requirements in your state.

Any questions, please contact wwcc@beaconfoundation.net or phone Lisa Gibson on (03) 6118 2012.

Step 3: Online training

Any time after registering, sign back in here to complete the 4 required online training modules for MyRoad mentors at any time (these will take 15 minutes each).

Step 4: Tech check

Once the above steps are complete, a member of our Online team will be in touch to book a tech check and session overview with you (PS. you’ll need a computer with inbuilt webcam and microphone).

Please note all our mentoring takes place via videoconference rather than in person, in school hours, and you’ll be mentoring 2 to 5 students at a time.

All up, your time commitment leading up to your first two-hour mentoring session is 1 to 2 hours, plus the two-hour session itself. After that, each session you do is really just the two-hour time commitment to run the session.

To become a MyRoad mentor, you’ll need to complete four online self-led training modules (these are clearly marked in Beacon’s training hub). Each one will take just 15 minutes and can be done one at a time or all at once.

The four training modules are: Introduction to MyRoad; Legal & Ethical Considerations for MyRoad Mentors; Supporting Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Young People; and Facilitating Workshops with Young People.

Other training will also be available to industry mentors on an opt-in basis such as Building Relationships with Young People.

Yes. MyRoad is offered exclusively to young women in their senior years of secondary school (Years 10 to 12). Students should be aged between 16 and 19 (or turning 16 the year they do the program).

Funding for the MyRoad program is via Coca-Cola’s 5by20 program which is aimed at economically empowering 5 million women around the world by 2020.

Through exposure to work-related learning and authentic interactions with industry role models, MyRoad provides young women with increased self-confidence and the motivation to develop new hopes, plans and expectations for their future.

While MyRoad is targeted exclusively at young women, it is possible that due to logistical issues at a school, on rare occasions boys might be included in the group you are mentoring. These sessions will be clearly marked in the bookings calendar.

MyRoad is intended to be one of the first forays into online engagement between businesses and young people. The value for students who participate in MyRoad includes an increased capacity to easily engage with industry representatives and new and unique activities and thinking for students.

No. MyRoad is a one-off online session and there will be no in person contact between mentors and students. Interactions will be online only. MyRoad’s unique online / virtual delivery means it can be run in any classroom around Australia, and trained industry mentors can connect with students from across the country.

No. MyRoad is limited to a two-hour session with a particular group of students. However, mentors are invited to lead as many MyRoad sessions as they like, which will then involve one-off interactions with different groups of students from different schools.

Yes. In each MyRoad session you will mentor between 3 to 5 female students in a small group using questioning and enquiring techniques.

Yes. A teacher or staff member from the school will be supervising students at all times during delivery of the MyRoad program.

In the first instance, school bookings will dictate the times and days for MyRoad sessions. However, once schools have confirmed the time and day, the booking will be published in our bookings calendar along with other bookings and you’ll get to choose the session times that suit your schedule best.

As part of the registration process, you will be required to obtain a Working with Children Check in your state or territory (full details are provided during the registration process). As part of MyRoad mentor training, you will also be required to sign a Code of Conduct. Further information about Working with Children Checks is available here.

No. The value of a mentor is in their life experience, not their qualifications or experience with young people. You will be provided with full training through your MyRoad training that will allow you to learn all you need to know to feel confident for each session. As long as you have some industry or work experience and have a passion for helping young people, you will make an amazing MyRoad mentor.

No. The program is seeking mentors from a diverse range of industries and occupations, including the service sector, trades and the professions, and from diverse cultural backgrounds.

The MyRoad program is constantly recruiting new mentors into the program and will always welcome new mentor registrations. There are around 200 active mentors involved in the program at any given time.

As a trained industry mentor, you’ll lead young people through five interactive modules (in addition to an initial “Preparation” module which students will complete at their end before you join them). The six modules in total will cover “21st Century Skills” including short videos that you will play for your mentees during each MyRoad session:
1. Imagine your Future – Motivation: Encouraging students to apply their knowledge of self to career decision making.
2. Picture your Future – Curiosity: Encouraging students to be curious about potential future pathways and possibilities by sharing your experiences.
3. Plug into your Future – Digital Communication: Highlighting the technical advantage young people have today while encouraging them to think about their online presence and digital communication in new ways.
4. Connect your Future – Effective Relationships: Focusing on skills that are helpful for maintaining positive relationships in the workplace, such as teamwork and co-operation.
5. Live your Future – Resilience: Supporting students to realise that failure along the way does not mean they should give up on their goals.
6. Celebrate your Future – Celebration and Reflection: Focusing students on their future, and reflecting on and evaluating program learnings.

According to the Australian Government’s Quality Schools, Quality Outcomes report in May 2016:

“More needs to be done to prepare Australian students for the globalised world” including “providing better career advice for students in their final years of school”.

“Providing meaningful career and post-school advice will ensure that young people have a greater understanding of what further education, training or work experience they will need to realise their career goals,” the report found, noting that “embedding conversations” about career issues had led to better employment outcomes for participating students.

“Education systems and schools also need to better support students in learning skills such as collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, creativity and innovation. These so called ‘21st century skills’ will be essential for students entering a workforce that is undergoing massive rapid technological change.”

The MyRoad session itself will involve two hours of your time on the day of delivery:

• 30 minutes – preparation module (during the first 20 to 30 minutes of your two-hour session, you will join the mentor greenroom to chat to other mentors and the MyRoad team. At the same time, students and teachers will be setting up computers at the school and watching an introductory video and completing a worksheet). You will join students around 20 to 30 minutes into the two hours although you are advised to log in to the greenroom during this time to ensure you are prepared and can receive updates from the MyRoad team).
• 1 hour – interactive time with students in groups of 3 to 5 young people where you’ll deliver 21st Century skills development module content. Authentic industry exposure, experience and practices form the basis of conversations, supported by diverse role model industry videos which you’ll play for students.
• 30 minutes – celebration and reflection module where you’ll lead students through a reflective exercise to reinforce key module learnings and how they may apply to each individual participant.
  You will also give an electronic survey to students to complete during the session. After the interactive component of the session is finished, you will be encouraged to complete our MyRoad Mentor Evaluation Survey to provide feedback as to how you found the session.

Yes. MyRoad is aligned to the Australian Curriculum for “General Capabilities” and “Work Studies”.

You will need a computer (laptop or desktop) with a webcam and microphone (headsets are also recommended) to allow you to see and hear your mentees and vice versa. You will also need to be able to access Zoom (a video conferencing platform similar to Skype) for sessions in all states other than Queensland. If you are participating in online sessions run with Queensland schools, you’ll need access to Webex videoconferencing. For both Zoom and Webex you don’t require your own licence or any specific software to run it, you simply use the videoconference links the MyRoad team provides to join each videoconference.

You will also need adequate internet bandwidth to run the session. We suggest where possible that you use physical connections to the internet rather than WIFI as it is more stable (ie a blue wired cord) and that you use google chrome as your browser (although other browsers will also work). You’ll also need a quiet space with no interruptions (open plan or shared spaces aren’t really conducive to MyRoad sessions).

As part of your journey through MyRoad, you’ll be trained in how to use the technology, and this includes a “tech check” prior to your first session.

Key aspects of the MyRoad program, including session delivery on the day between schools and mentors, will require the use of videoconferencing technology. In all states and territories except Queensland, we use Zoom videoconferencing. In Queensland state schools, MyRoad sessions are run using Webex videoconferencing.

For both Zoom and Webex, which are similar to Skype, you do not need to sign up to an account to use them and you don’t need a special licence. Once we have you set-up in both programs you simply use the videoconference links Beacon provides.

Zoom and Webex are both easy to use. You will be provided with a link that will open directly into your video call, in your internet browser. The Zoom and Webex installers will download automatically the first time you start a meeting but we will provide full instructions just in case. The download usually takes no more than 30-60 seconds and only occurs the first time you use either Zoom or Webex.

ZOOM

To get familiar with Zoom you can use this test meeting link at any time:
https://zoom.us/test

Watch these short videos for more information about using Zoom:

How to join a meeting:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-How-Do-I-Join-A-Meeting-

Test Audio & Video on your device
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362283-How-Do-I-Join-or-Test-My-Computer-Audio-

User controls (mute, change name, etc)
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362603-What-Are-the-Host-Controls-

Sharing your screen
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362153-How-Do-I-Share-My-Screen-

WEBEX

If you don’t already have Webex installed on your computer, you can test that you have access to it by clicking on the link below:

https://www.webex.com/test-meeting.html

As a MyRoad mentor, you can choose to lead one MyRoad session or many. Following each MyRoad session with a school, we ask you to complete our online mentor survey, where you have the opportunity to provide us with feedback and your advice and tips for other mentors. Within a couple of days of each MyRoad session, we will endeavour to provide you with feedback from one of your mentees and then several weeks later we will provide you with a full session summary of student feedback on all mentors in that session. This enables you to see the impact you have had on the young people you have mentored.

MyRoad is a two-hour videoconferencing session where industry volunteer mentors guide a small group of female secondary school students in Years 10 to 12 through a two-hour, interactive work readiness program.

More information about Beacon’s MyRoad program is available here.

Yes. Beacon Foundation’s MyRoad pilot in 2016 saw 980 students participate in the 51 programs that were delivered in 35 schools across the nation. Since then, more than 5,700 young people and more than 145 schools have participated. Coca-Cola has provided further funding to continue the program throughout 2019 and 2020.

Yes. MyRoad is offered exclusively to young women in their senior years of secondary school (Years 10 to 12). Students should be aged between 16 and 19 (or turning 16 the year they do the program).

Funding for the MyRoad program is via Coca-Cola’s 5by20 program which is aimed at economically empowering 5 million women around the world by 2020.

Through exposure to work-related learning and authentic interactions with industry role models, MyRoad provides young women with increased self-confidence and the motivation to develop new hopes, plans and expectations for their future.

While MyRoad is targeted exclusively at young women, it is possible that due to logistical issues at a school, on rare occasions boys might be able to be included.

MyRoad is intended to be one of the first forays into online engagement between businesses and young people. The value for students who participate in MyRoad includes an increased capacity to easily engage with industry representatives and new and unique activities and thinking for students.

Trained industry mentors will lead your students / young people through five interactive modules (in addition to an initial “Preparation” module which students will complete at the school end before the mentor joins them). The six modules in total will cover “21st Century Skills” including short videos that mentors will play for your students during each MyRoad session:
1. Imagine your Future – Motivation: Encouraging students to apply their knowledge of self to career decision making.
2. Picture your Future – Curiosity: Encouraging students to be curious about potential future pathways and possibilities through mentors sharing their experiences.
3. Plug into your Future – Digital Communication: Highlighting the technical advantage young people have today while encouraging them to think about their online presence and digital communication in new ways.
4. Connect your Future – Effective Relationships: Focusing on skills that are helpful for maintaining positive relationships in the workplace, such as teamwork and co-operation.
5. Live your Future – Resilience: Supporting students to realise that failure along the way does not mean they should give up on their goals.
6. Celebrate your Future – Celebration and Reflection: Focusing students on their future, and reflecting on and evaluating program learnings.

According to the Australian Government’s Quality Schools, Quality Outcomes report in May 2016:

“More needs to be done to prepare Australian students for the globalised world” including “providing better career advice for students in their final years of school”.

“Providing meaningful career and post-school advice will ensure that young people have a greater understanding of what further education, training or work experience they will need to realise their career goals,” the report found, noting that “embedding conversations” about career issues had led to better employment outcomes for participating students.

“Education systems and schools also need to better support students in learning skills such as collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, creativity and innovation. These so called ‘21st century skills’ will be essential for students entering a workforce that is undergoing massive rapid technological change.”

The MyRoad session itself will involve two hours of your time on the day of delivery:

• 30 minutes – preparation module (during the first 20 to 30 minutes of your two-hour session, you will be setting up computers at the school and having students watch an introductory video and completing a worksheet). Mentors will join students around 20 minutes into the two hours.
• 1 hour – interactive time with students in groups of 3 to 5 young people where mentors will deliver 21st Century skills development module content. Authentic industry exposure, experience and practices form the basis of conversations, supported by diverse role model industry videos which mentors will play for students.
• 30 minutes – celebration and reflection module where mentors will lead students through a reflective exercise to reinforce key module learnings and how they may apply to each individual participant.
  Mentors will also give students an electronic survey to complete during the session.

Yes. MyRoad is aligned to the Australian Curriculum for “General Capabilities” and “Work Studies”.

Group sizes from 5 to 50 students work best in a single session but larger groups can be accommodated across multiple sessions. In each MyRoad session, the total number of students doing the session will be divided by 5, with one mentor allocated to every 5 students. This allows for groups to shrink in case some students are absent on the day. There should always be a minimum of two students per mentor and a maximum of 5 (although sometimes larger groups will be necessary). Under no circumstances should a single student interact with a mentor.

Yes. A teacher or staff member from the school must be supervising students at all times during delivery of the MyRoad program.

The total time commitment for you as a MyRoad teacher will be setting up for and supervising the two-hour MyRoad session on the day, plus a short 15-minute “tech check” with the MyRoad team beforehand to ensure the technology works on your computers.

Yes. School bookings will dictate the times and days for MyRoad sessions. Once schools have confirmed the time and day in a two-hour block, that booking will be published in the MyRoad bookings calendar and mentors will be invited to RSVP to the session.

Yes. You will be provided with full support and guidance from the MyRoad team along each step of your journey. Beacon has made the process as simple as possible for you to enable your school to participate.

You will need a computer (laptop or desktop) with a webcam and microphone for each group of 5 students in your session (we will send you headsets and splitters to enable 5 students to plug into each computer). You will also need to be able to access Zoom (a video conferencing platform similar to Skype) if your school is in any state other than Queensland. If your school is a Queensland government school, you will use the Webex videoconferencing program and you will need to email the department to get Webex unblocked for student logins. Schools don’t require your own licence to Zoom or Webex or any specific software to run them, you simply use the videoconference links the MyRoad team provides to log in to each videoconference.

You will also need adequate internet bandwidth to run the session. We suggest where possible you use physical connections to the internet rather than WIFI as they are more stable (ie a blue wired cord is preferable). We also suggest you use google chrome as your browser where possible (although other browsers will also work).

As part of your journey through MyRoad, you’ll be shown the technology via a quick “tech check” prior to your MyRoad session.

Key aspects of the MyRoad program, including session delivery on the day between schools and mentors, will require the use of videoconferencing technology. In all states and territories except Queensland, we use Zoom videoconferencing. In Queensland state schools, MyRoad sessions are run using Webex videoconferencing.

For both Zoom and Webex, which are similar to Skype, you do not need to sign up to an account to use them and you don’t need a special licence. You simply use the videoconference links Beacon provides. However, if you are a Queensland state school you may need to email the Department of Education to have Webex unblocked for student log-ins.

Zoom and Webex are both easy to use. You will be provided with a link that will open directly into your video call, in your internet browser. The Zoom and Webex installers will download automatically the first time you start a meeting but we will provide full instructions just in case. The download usually takes no more than 30-60 seconds and only occurs the first time you use either Zoom or Webex.

ZOOM

To get familiar with Zoom you can use this test meeting link at any time:
https://zoom.us/test

Watch these short videos for more information about using Zoom:

How to join a meeting:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-How-Do-I-Join-A-Meeting-

Test Audio & Video on your device
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362283-How-Do-I-Join-or-Test-My-Computer-Audio-

User controls (mute, change name, etc)
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362603-What-Are-the-Host-Controls-

Sharing your screen
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362153-How-Do-I-Share-My-Screen-

WEBEX

If you don’t already have Webex installed on your computer, you can test that you have access to it by clicking on the link below:

https://www.webex.com/test-meeting.html

As part of the registration process, mentors will be required to obtain a Working with Children Check in their state or territory and will also be required to sign a Code of Conduct.Further information about Working with Children Checks is available here.

No. MyRoad is a one-off online session and there will be no in person contact between mentors and students. Interactions will be online only. MyRoad’s unique online / virtual delivery means it can be run in any classroom around Australia, and trained industry mentors can connect with students from across the country.

No. MyRoad is limited to a two-hour session with a particular group of students.  Some mentors will lead more than one MyRoad session, involving interaction with a different group of students.

The program will involve mentors from a diverse range of industries and occupations, including the service sector, trades and the professions, and from diverse cultural backgrounds.

The value of a mentor is in their life experience, not their qualifications or experience with young people. Mentors will be provided with tips and hints through their MyRoad training that will allow them to learn all they need to know to feel confident for each session.

For 28 years Beacon has co-constructed real-world education through partnerships we build between schools and industry. This includes curriculum, work readiness programs, work exposure opportunities, real-life industry projects and work pathways. eBeacon is an extension of this work, with the aim of reaching, connecting and inspiring more young people than ever before. eBeacon has extended the potential reach of our work into every school in Australia. eBeacon brings a wide range of resources from outside communities to students in schools. These make school engaging and relevant and prepare students to navigate the more complex careers of the future. Across 2017 Beacon will be inviting our supporters to take with us the next step in our journey to REACH, CONNECT and INSPIRE more young Australians. We’d love for you to join us to discover innovative ways in which you can help us make a difference in the lives of those who are most in need.

Only approved registered eBeacon members. It is not a public site. Click here to find out more.

Approved members can access eBeacon at anytime.  Support is available during business hours (AEST).  There may be scheduled shut down times for site maintenance – these will be advertised.

No, unless we have made special provisions and agreement with you. Upon registration or logging into eBeacon you accept terms of use specifying our collateral is for use in our Beacon communities only.

No, just follow instructions on screen! If you do need any assistance please select the envelope icon on the right hand side of your screen.

Beacon schools have access to eBeacon included in their annual membership fee.

There is no cost for skilled volunteers to become Beacon Collaborators.

If you wish to volunteer as a Beacon Collaborator (skilled volunteer) or if you are an educator at a Beacon-affiliated school, please register via the Sign In/Register button on ebeacon.net.au. All registrations are subject to an approval process and as such, will not be granted immediate access. Once approved, login instructions will be sent to your nominated email address.  If you have another reason for registering, please email contact@ebeacon.net.au to request registration.

You must be 18 years of age or older to register with eBeacon.

No, there are rigid terms of use and privacy agreements around the use of eBeacon and each user must register and accept these terms and conditions

Absolutely.  Information on becoming a Beacon Collaborator can be found on the Beacon Collaborators page.

Yes.  eBeacon has been designed to facilitate educators accessing best practice ideas from their peers across Australia. You can send a Table1 Request to other educators.  Additionally, educators can join a group or attend an event with other educators.

Please phone the eBeacon helpline on 1300 935 627 or email contact@ebeacon.net.au. A member of the eBeacon team will be available to assist you during business hours (AEST).  Please provide details of any error messages you receive.

Please phone the eBeacon helpline on 1300 935 627 or email contact@ebeacon.net.au. A member of the eBeacon team will be available to assist you during business hours (AEST).

You can reset your password at any time by clicking on the ‘I forgot my password’ link on the sign-in page and following the prompts.  Then check your inbox or spam folder for an email from eBeacon and click on the link provided to set a new password.

If you are already signed-in to eBeacon, you can change your password in the ‘Account’ tab in your profile page.

eBeacon can be accessed via your smart phone and tablet. For best functionality, we recommend you use your desktop to view the eBeacon application. We are working towards an even better mobile-responsive site.

Zoom is a video conferencing platform used to facilitate some online interactions.  You do not need a Zoom account to participate.

Zoom is easy to use. You will be provided with a link that will open directly into your video call, in your internet browser. The Zoom installer will download automatically the first time you start a Zoom meeting. The download usually takes no more than 30-60 seconds and only occurs the first time you use Zoom.

To get familiar with Zoom you can use this test meeting link at any time:
https://zoom.us/test

Watch these short videos for more information about using Zoom:

How to join a meeting:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-How-Do-I-Join-A-Meeting-

Test Audio & Video on your device
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362283-How-Do-I-Join-or-Test-My-Computer-Audio-

User controls (mute, change name, etc)
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362603-What-Are-the-Host-Controls-

Sharing your screen
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362153-How-Do-I-Share-My-Screen-

The development of eBeacon is a genuine co-construction process. All feedback is gratefully accepted and considered.  Use the feedback button (on any eBeacon page) to provide your suggestions and feedback so we can capture and include it in our development process.

Information about Working with Children Checks and Beacon’s requirements can be found On the Working with Children Checks page.

Yes.  Beacon Foundation welcomes videos detailing an individual’s career journey, educational pathway, daily tasks, industry practices, challenges, rewards and work-readiness advice. For information on how to submit a career story please click here.

For information about eBeacon’s Career Stories, please click here.

All details in Career Story videos provided on eBeacon were correct at the time of recording. The views and opinions expressed in Career Story videos are those of the speaker/s and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by Beacon Foundation and/or the speaker’s employer.

Groups on eBeacon are messages shared between more than two members.  A private group is visible only to its invited members.  A public group can only be created by a Beacon staff member.  Public groups are visible on the ‘Groups’ page.  Members can request to join a public group.  All groups have an owner who can add or remove members and initiate conversations. Some suggested uses for groups is to communicate between members in a project (such as a BPG) or to discuss a topic of particular interest. You can leave a group at any time.