Geber, HilaryKoyana, Siphokazi2016-06-142016-06-142012Geber, H., & Koyana, S. (2012). Mentoring unemployed science graduates in South Africa: early lessons learnt. Acta Academica, 44(2), 88-109.0587-2405 (print)2415-0479 (online)http://hdl.handle.net/11660/2887English: As part of the National Youth Service Volunteers Programme, the Department of Science and Technology implemented the first two-year programme in 2008-2009. Unemployed science graduates were selected to participate. One hundred interns were placed in 22 science centres where they learnt work-related skills while seeking permanent jobs. As all the candidates, aged between 21 and 35, were historically disadvantaged individuals who had graduated from historically black higher education institutions, a mentoring system was implemented to help accelerate their development. This article reports on the experiences of the interns and their mentors and highlights mentoring good practice for such innovative programmes. It also contains some longitudinal data about their employment after the internship ended.Afrikaans: As deel van die Nasionale Jeugdiens se Vrywilligersprogram het die Departement van Wetenskap en Tegnologie in 2008-2009 die eerste tweejaar-program ingestel. Werklose gegradueerde wetenskapstudente is gekies om deel te neem. Een honderd vrywilligers is in 22 wetenskapsentra geplaas waar hulle werksverwante vaardighede geleer het terwyl hulle op soek was na permanente werksgeleenthede. Aangesien al die kandidate tussen die ouderdomme van 21 en 35 jaar histories-benadeelde individue was en by histories swart hoëronderwysinstellings gestudeer het, is ’n mentorskapprogram ingestel om hul ontwikkeling te versnel. Hierdie artikel doen verslag oor die ervaringe van interns en hul mentors en beklemtoon goeie mentorskappraktyk vir sulke baanbrekersprogramme. Dit bevat ook sekere longitudinale data in verband met hul indiensneming na internskap.enNational Youth Service Volunteers ProgrammeInternsMentoringArticleUniversity of the Free State