Mentoring is many things but at its heart lies an affirmation of human relationships and the capacity to enable those involved (the young people and their mentors) to learn and to grow. At the same time mentoring is no soft option.

Quality mentoring programs require hard work and tough decisions. They require firm undertakings from all involve. They operate with purpose and deliver real outcomes from raising self-esteem, healthier behaviours, and improved school attendance through to better informed career choices and a more secure place in education or the workforce.

Like any relationship, the development of a mentoring relationship takes time and commitment. The strong, personal relationships that are of most value should not be left to chanc It is essential that structured mentoring programs are developed and implemented using consistent standards.

The benchmarks will continue to evolve with our collective knowledge and experience. They are offered by the Youth Mentoring Network as a further contribution to the development of a collaborative youth mentoring community in Australia.