ERIEC's Career Mentorship Program can help you develop your leadership skills while giving back to your community. When you become a mentor, you can smooth an immigrant's transition to the Canadian workplace. By sharing your local knowledge about the work culture, you help an immigrant navigate their job search. Mentoring can also help you:
- Enhance leadership and coaching skills.
- Improve intercultural competence.
- Increase confidence and professional growth.
- Strengthen expertise working with a multicultural workforce.
- Support the organization’s commitment to diversity.
- Link to the global talent pool.
- Give back and feel good!
Building on these skills can help you advance your career and can open new professional opportunities to you. Developing these skills will contribute to the success of global talent in your profession.
Are you ready to be a mentor?
We are looking for mentors from most professions and who are interested in their own professional development. You would be a good mentor if you have insights about the Edmonton and Alberta labour markets related to your profession. You should be interested in learning more about cultural differences and improving your intercultural competency. You should be considerate about employment issues for skilled immigrants and open to learning about the challenges they face. Our mentors are:
- Established in their profession.
- Familiar with the Canadian workplace.
- Connected to professional and/or business networks.
- Good with interpersonal and communication skills.
- Available 4-6 hours/month for 4 months (about 1- 1.5 hrs/week).
ERIEC runs 7 Mentorship Cohorts per year, with new signups regularly.
Program Resources
During the mentorship program you will have have access to the following resources and programs:
Orientation: You will participate in an initial orientation session that outlines roles, codes of conduct, and expectations of the mentorship relationship.
Intercultural workshops: You are encouraged to attend one learning workshop a month over the four month span to receive supplemental resources that support your work with your organization and with your mentee.
Support Materials: You will have access to information on this website, and you will recieve the Mentorship Handbook and the Mentorship Activity Roadmap. The Alberta Mentorship Program website has many additional resources and articles that can support you and your mentee.
Resources
If you have any further questions, please contact the Mentorship Program Facilitator.
Who is a mentor?
A mentor is an experienced professional who shares their experience to help a mentee reach important career goals. Like a new staff member, members of our global talent pool need time to learn the ‘ropes’ and become familiar with Canadian workplace culture.
Why should I become a mentor?
As a mentor, you have a chance to support and foster the integration of skilled newcomers so that they can better contribute to the Canadian economy. Becoming a mentor can enhance your leadership and coaching skills, improve your intercultural competence, and increase your confidence and professional growth.
What does a mentor do for the mentee?
The greatest thing a mentor can do for a mentee is encourage them and convey a sincere belief in their ability to succeed. The mentor-mentee relationship is often the first link in a newcomer’s professional network and opens doors to career opportunities for them.
Do I have to find a job for my mentee?
No. The objective of the mentoring relationship is to prepare your mentee for the Canadian workplace by introducing them to professional networks and offering advice. Your mentee is responsible for their own job search.