The Alberta Mentorship Program supports organizations who want to offer career mentorship programs and services in their community.
We believe mentorship can change lives.
Mentorship can build better community and company culture through learning, knowledge sharing, and exploring challenges. That is why the Alberta Mentorship Program is encouraging organizations, employers, and individuals to get involved in mentorship.
Alberta is fortunate to have two strong mentorship organizations in Edmonton and Calgary. Both the Edmonton and the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Councils (ERIEC & CRIEC) have a proven track record of mentorship with newcomers to Canada.
Bruce Randall, Executive Director of CRIEC, knows from personal experience how powerful the mentorship experience can be. Thinking back to his own mentor, he says, “I remember how he made me feel. Every day that I met with him, he made me feel like a warrior, that I was worthy to use the stuff that was in my head.” This personal experience is part of what makes Randall such an excellent advocate for mentorship in Calgary since founding CRIEC in 2010.
The Alberta Mentorship Program’s mission is to spread mentorship in a way that is engaging and sustainable throughout the province. Tapping into the experience of CRIEC and ERIEC will help us build on their success and share it with smaller urban and rural settings in Alberta.
ERIEC was started in 2008 and has grown into a sustainable mentorship program in Edmonton. “The best outcome that we’ve seen is taking a concept from an idea stage to an implementation stage,” says Doug Piquette, ERIEC Executive Director.
The real success is how ERIEC has contributed to “creating a mentorship culture within the City of Edmonton,” says Piquette. Alberta Mentorship Program’s vision is to take the success of ERIEC and CRIEC in Edmonton and Calgary and build on it so we can create a mentorship culture throughout the province.
What is the Alberta Mentorship Program?
The Alberta Mentorship Program (AMP), a joint project of mentorship and employment organizations and the Alberta and federal governments, started in 2019. The program is lead by a stakeholder advisory committee that is overseeing the development of this website and pilot programs with two Alberta community organizations.
The first phase of the project from 2019 to spring 2020 included developing the resources on the website and setting up the pilot programs to run through 2020 into 2021. (Note: These dates may shift in the wake of COVID-19.) In phase two, AMP will support the community partner organizations to pilot mentorship programs. These pilots will be supported by the program partners and the materials provided on this website.
As part of the project, our pilots will be evaluated then we will develop further website features and content to create a self-contained platform that can help any organization launch their own mentorship program. Throughout the project, our team will be connecting with communities across Alberta.
The Alberta Mentorship Program Website
This website is a major component of the Alberta Mentorship Program. Our goal was to create a freely accessible website that addresses all stages of a mentorship program. The website will focus on providing information and tools to organizations that offer mentorship programs in rural and small urban communities.
This site will present a basic path for organizations to plan and explore options for a mentorship program. There is no single “right” size, style, or outcome for a program. It will also provide resources for mentors, mentees, and employers. These resources are available directly to these individuals and as a resource that programs can use for their participants and partners.
The two pilot community organizations will use this website to support new mentorship programming. They will provide feedback on the effectiveness of online resources. Our partners will develop further content and resources based on this feedback.
It is the hope of the Alberta Mentorship Program that anyone can use this site to reflect on what their organization and mentoring participants need right now, whether it is a new program or making changes to an existing program. We will also capture the stories organizations, mentors, mentees, and employers to inspire others who are participating in mentorship programs.
The focus on our program is to support newcomers to Canada looking for career help. But we recognize that the resources on the website could support mentorship programs for other target audiences and mentorship program goals.
The Alberta Mentorship program provides this site and all the resources to support anyone who can benefit from mentorship. We also hope that this website and the pilot program will plant the seeds of a mentorship culture in Alberta. With collaboration and sharing stories and resources, we can create a provincial mentoring culture that will build a stronger Alberta.
