Getting Young People Work-Ready With Council’s Mock Interviews

Almost 100 high school students and school leavers were given a taste of what real life interviews entail when they came face to face with interview panels made up of staff from Wyndham City and Wyndham Disability Support Network, last week.

Students from Warringa Park, Manor Lakes P-12 College, Gen U and Uniting Pathways attended a morning tea at Wyndham City Civic Centre before fronting the panels at the fifth annual Mock Interview Day.

Learning Cities portfolio holder Cr Josh Gilligan said the day was the third part of the Wyndham City’s Mock Interview Project, preparing young Wyndham residents for the workforce.

“During the past few months, we conducted two separate workshops for the young people: one to help them prepare their resumes and the second to build a cover letter,” Cr Gilligan said.

“The students chose one of four Council positions they were keen to apply for and Wyndham City staff helped them write their resume, cover letter and prepare for the mock interview to secure their chosen position.”

“The Mock Interview Day then helps young people build on their experience and resilience as well as developing an understanding on how to respond to a real-life interview.”

“The young people left the program with a greater understanding of the skills they need to learn to secure employment and the confidence gained from this practical interview day will lead them on the path to success.”

“This three-step process helps our next generation of workers develop practical job seeking skills and find pathways to secure employment - and perhaps we will see some of these students apply for genuine Council roles in the coming weeks, months and years.”