You’ve heard us mention our Career Mentorship Program; we’ve told you about the benefits of mentorship for employers and about how to apply if you want to be a mentee, but we haven’t quite explained what the program is about, or what the time commitment might involve. So here’s what it’s all about:
It’s about connections…
ERIEC and the Career Mentorship Program were born during the boom in Alberta when employers were searching for skilled workers and Edmonton’s global talent were searching for employment in their fields. We thought there must be a way to connect these two groups, and voilà, the Career Mentorship Program was born!
It’s about positive outcomes for skilled immigrants…
It’s an opportunity for internationally trained and educated professionals (mentees) to:
- Enhance their job search strategies;
- Develop an understanding of Canadian workplace culture;
- Build professional networks; and
- Gain knowledge about how to better integrate into the local labour market.
It’s about benefits to employers and established professionals (mentors)…
- Enhanced coaching skills;
- Expanded networks;
- Increased intercultural competence;
- Earned professional development credits; and
- Giving back to the community
Check out this video of Doug Piquette, the Executive Director of ERIEC, speaking about the benefits of mentorship.
It’s about manageable time commitments….
The program usually happens during business hours, and your time investment would be:
- 1 orientation session (3 hours);
- Weekly meetings with a mentee/mentor (1.5 hours/week over 4 months);
- 4 intercultural workshops (2 hours/month).
It’s about making a difference…
We know the skilled immigrants who come to our program want jobs. And although we are not an employment program – neither we nor the mentors find jobs for anyone – we do know that the benefits are tangible in many ways:
Mentors feel good about using their professional skills to help a future colleague.
Mentees tell us about their increased sense of confidence, self-esteem and hope. It is a powerful thing for a skilled immigrant to sit across a table from a professional in their field who is telling them that their skills are needed in Edmonton and that we all want them here, in our communities. Of course, then there is the fact that our mentees often do find jobs…
So, there you go. That’s our program!
The Career Mentorship Program is offered at no cost. We are funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and the Government of Alberta. We have three cohorts per year. Potential mentees and mentors can apply online anytime.
For more information, please contact us.
Do you live in a different city in Canada? Check out ALLIES for a list of immigrant employment councils and mentorship programs across Canada.