Mentoring has become an indispensable tool, but what tools should you use to build your program? Mentoring programs play a key role in preparing young people for their future careers. Not only do they help integrate new students, they also improve their emotional and academic well-being. However, setting up and effectively managing these programs can be a challenge.
Thanks to our advanced functionalities and collaborative approach, AlumnForce can help you structure and optimize your mentoring programs. All while maximizing the benefits for students and mentors alike.
Mentoring today: stakes and challenges
By working with over 350 partners, we carried out a study of the challenges they faced in terms of mentoring. Their issues and expectations change over the years, but we have identified 4 main challenges to be met through mentoring.
1. Mentoring for professional integration
Mentoring has become a crucial element in higher education for a number of reasons. Firstly, it facilitates the professional integration of students by pairing them with experienced professionals. According to The Journal, 88% of teachers have found that one-to-one mentoring adds significant value to their students.
This one-to-one support is particularly essential at a time when competition on the job market is intense. According to a study by Think Learning, 93% of mentees feel that their mentoring relationship is useful, boosting their confidence and motivation to achieve their career goals.
2. Mentoring for the integration of new students
Mentoring plays a key role in the integration of new students. It helps them to familiarise themselves with their new academic environment and to feel more at ease. This support is crucial for improving their emotional well-being and academic performance. The Journal survey reveals that 82% of teachers see positive changes in their students’ academic performance as a result of mentoring. Moreover, 71% of students with a mentor feel that their academic programme prepares them well for their future career, compared with only 47% of students without a mentor.
However, institutions face a number of challenges, including selecting the right profiles of mentors and mentees, and effectively managing and monitoring the programmes. It is crucial to structure these programmes in such a way as to maximise their impact while meeting the specific needs of members.
3. Mentoring for one-off or ongoing training courses
Training is another area where mentoring plays an essential role. Needs evolve rapidly, and students and professionals alike need to constantly update their skills to remain competitive. Mentoring programmes facilitate access to specialised training tailored to individual needs, whether this involves short courses, certifications or ongoing training throughout a career.
A study by LinkedIn Learning shows that 94% of employees would stay longer with a company if it invested in their learning and development. What’s more, mentoring programmes make it possible to tailor training courses to the objectives and aspirations of each mentee. This makes learning more relevant and effective. By combining the experience of mentors with high-quality teaching resources, institutions and companies can offer ongoing support to help their members grow professionally.
4. Mentoring to support entrepreneurship
Support for entrepreneurship has become an increasingly important issue in recent years. Mentoring programmes enable these future entrepreneurs to benefit from expert advice and feedback. Sometimes even the professional networks they need to launch and develop their projects.
According to a study by the Kauffman Foundation, mentored students are three times more likely to launch a successful start-up than those who have not been mentored. Mentors help not only to overcome initial obstacles, but also to avoid common mistakes. This ongoing guidance enables young entrepreneurs to turn their innovative ideas into viable and sustainable businesses.
How the AlumnForce solution meets these needs
First of all, there are two mentoring profiles. The first is open to everyone, easy to access and intuitive. It gives participants a great deal of freedom to connect and create the relationship that suits them best. Flash mentoring, Meet & Share, coaching, long-term… You give them the freedom to get together and help each other.
AlumnForce also works closely with its partners to co-construct the product. This participative approach ensures that the platform is constantly evolving to better meet user expectations. Our product team has conducted numerous interviews and design tests to achieve a result that truly meets the expectations of administrators and participants. We approached networks of all types: business schools, engineering schools, universities, training centres, etc. It was through this process in particular that the mentoring programme management solution was born. As a result, we are now able to offer a genuine programme creation and management solution that enhances the effectiveness and scope of your actions.
A mentoring programme is a space dedicated to a specific issue. It’s a much more controlled environment, so you get a much higher quality of exchange. You control who participates, both mentor and mentee, ensuring total consistency between the different profiles involved. In particular, you can control your list of participants, the list of relationships, how many mentor relationships are authorised per person, the status of the different pairs, etc.
With these specific tools for managing mentoring programmes, AlumnForce enables institutions to structure their initiatives in such a way as to maximise their impact. The possibility for group leaders to create their own autonomous programmes is a particularly appreciated feature, allowing greater flexibility and adaptation to the specific needs of each academic community.
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