Mentoring Program Matching Database Launched
APEGBC’s Mentoring Program is pleased to offer a web-based mentor/mentee matching database. This newly developed online tool enables mentors to input their areas of expertise, location and any additional information they‘d like a potential mentee to know. Likewise, a mentee can list the expertise, city and additional details about their ideal mentor.
If a mentor/mentee sees a good match on the database, they place a matching request. Once both parties agree to investigate a potential match further, contact information is provided. After the pair discusses a potential mentorship and decides to enter into a mentoring relationship, the APEGBC Mentoring Committee provides support through additional resources for meetings and advice as needed.
Mentoring pairs are encouraged to meet for at least one hour each month to discuss the mentee’s four-year plan, goal-setting, action items and training recommendations. While a mentor is not intended to be a substitute for a supervisor or to assist the mentee with finding employment, the advice and wisdom a mentor provides is invaluable to the mentee’s process of achieving professional status and future in the profession.
Aside from being recognized as a professional development activity, mentoring offers numerous benefits to the mentee and mentor alike. For the former, it provides an excellent opportunity to grow professionally and personally, a support structure and sounding board for questions and concerns, and a deeper understanding of career choices.
The mentor benefits as well in that mentoring enhances leadership and coaching skills, provides an opportunity to give back to the profession, offers new insights and reflections on one’s own practices, and enables one to shape the profession for future generations.
For more information about the Mentoring Program and to input your details in the matching database, please visit: www.apeg.bc.ca/services/mentoring.html.