What is Junior Mentoring?
Junior Mentoring is a career exploration activity in which a student is matched one-on-one or in small groups with an adult professional to explore potential careers and related educational issues. In our program, the mentor serves as a resource by sharing insights and providing guidance about the workplace, careers and postsecondary education/training. This is accomplished through formal and informal meetings organized at the school, in the workplace or online.
Designed to meet specific learning outcomes, mentoring is educationally rich, is tied to the curriculum, and helps students connect what they’re learning in school with the workplace.
Junior Mentoring is designed to:
- Give students exposure to jobs, careers, and industries.
- Offer the opportunity to build a relationship with a caring and knowledgeable adult.
- Offer a chance to practice communication skills and develop professional skills.
- Help students make the connection between school and the workplace.
- Inform career planning.
Junior Mentoring is structured to:
- Build self-esteem, self-worth, confidence and flexibility.
- Build occupational knowledge.
- Enable students to begin identifying areas of career interest.
- Allow for the mentor and mentee to select each other.
- Offer positive life outcomes for students.
- Build knowledge about the education and training needed for a particular job, career path and entry into the industry.
Junior Mentoring is supported by:
- Classroom preparation and reflection upon the experience verbally and in writing.
- A focus on building trust and respect with each other.
- The setting of clear and reasonable expectations for students and their mentoring partner.
- Routine meetings or communication with enough regularity to develop a relationship.
Junior Mentoring is connected to:
As a mentor you will provide guidance and insight into your career, allowing students the opportunity to observe and participate in job duties and activities. Students and mentors will communicate regularly to discuss expectations and outcomes of the mentorship. Mentors will communicate with the student’s Core Advisor to verify student hours and progress.
Internships are one activity in the continuum of authentic work-based experiences provided to all students engaged in career-related programs or course of study.
MENTOR TIP SHEET
Internships provide a direct benefit to the employer and give students the opportunity to learn by doing real work and being productively engaged in the workplace. Interns may work individually, in teams, work on a project, or rotate through a number of departments and job functions.
Before the Internship
- Review the informational packet provided by Vineyard Academy.
- Inform other staff that an intern will be at the workplace.
- Agree to a meet and greet with the intern.
- Identify tasks the student(s) can perform safely and others they might only observe.
During the Internship
- Provide a workplace orientation for the intern.
- Consider ways the intern can develop employability skills and be exposed to a range of careers in your industry.
- Identify opportunities that will support the intern’s academic, occupational and employability skill development and assist the intern in working toward learning objectives.
- Think about ways you can serve as both a coach and supervisor.
- Communicate successes and opportunities to the coordinator that can be used to enhance the value of classroom connections.