Mentorship is emerging as one of the most critical elements in advancing quality WIL opportunities in Canada. There are many benefits for the mentee, the mentor, and for organizations that encourage mentorship. But employers from across Canada say there is insufficient support when it comes to training their staff to have the skills necessary to coach and mentor young staff.
Our immersive mentorship training course is targeted at providing supervisors and staff - across sectors - with the skills needed to foster a positive WIL environment.
Using real, on-the-job scenarios, participants are presented with mentorship challenges and get constructive feedback as they progress. With each decision about on-the-job mentorship challenges, they gain a deeper understanding of the best practices in coaching and mentoring post-secondary students. The course uses scenario-based learning and features videos, articles and resources. Additional reading is available on the mentorship page of our WIL Hub.
After completing the course, participants will gain confidence in their ability to support post-secondary students to achieve their full potential during a placement.
Participants Will Learn To:
- Integrate a student into a workplace culture, including in remote work environments.
- Assign appropriate placement work.
- Coach a student on specific challenges and offer constructive feedback.
- Check in with a student to ensure a meaningful placement experience.
- Facilitate effective mentoring conversations, including helping a student reflect on their career aspirations.
- Provide end-of-placement feedback to a student, and receive feedback on your mentoring abilities.
The course has three 15-minute modules and takes 45 minutes to complete.
Module 1: Getting Started with Supporting Post-Secondary Students
Helping a student achieve their placement goals requires communication, collaboration, and the ability to manage expectations. This module will help you prepare for the new student by developing an understanding of their interests, skill levels, goals, and previous experiences – then collaborate with the student to develop realistic support. You will learn how to integrate a student into a workplace culture, conduct an initial career conversation, and assign appropriate work.
Module 1: Getting Started with Supporting Post-Secondary Students
This module outlines the fundamentals of coaching and mentoring during the middle of the placement. It addresses how to facilitate check-in meetings, mentoring conversations, feedback sessions, and networking activities. You will also learn how to coach students on specific challenges and issues encountered during a placement.
Module 3: Wrapping up the placement
The placement is almost over—how will you help your students to reflect on their experiences? This module addresses the importance of providing and receiving quality feedback, looking ahead to the students' future, and how to help them to consolidate their learning.