Mentorship

Mentoring Internationally Trained Professionals

Vijay Panchmatia, Logistics, Fedex

A bridging program to fast track foreign trained professionals into the Canadian workplace

United Way and Bow Valley College have entered into a partnership to offer a mentoring program for internationally educated professionals through the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council (CRIEC).   Internationally Educated professionals face a variety of obstacles when arriving in Canada.  The information and guidance they receive can be critical to making decisions related to their career and skill development and finding meaningful employment.    The goal of the mentoring program is to  connect immigrant professionals with working professionals in a mentoring partnership. 

This program will:

• provide the opportunity for internationally educated professionals to network with working professionals through a more structured formal mentoring relationship
• offer the opportunity to learn about the special skills and talents of the foreign trained professionals and recognize their potential value and contribution to the workplace
• offer an opportunity for employers and supervisors to participate in a structured training program where leadership and mentorship skills can be developed
• develop tools, strategies and resources for professional immigrants that improve and increase integration into Canadian work culture
• provide the opportunity for organizations to develop a corporate culture that is more aware and understanding of the issues faced by newcomers entering the Calgary workplace

Program Participants

Mentees

Mentees will be recruited from the following professional fields:  Engineering, Accounting and Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources, Sales & Marketing, and Office Administration. Mentees will be interviewed as part of the selection process.

• Have a total of at least 3 years experience in their area of expertise
• Have a Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) of 7 in reading, listening, writing and speaking.
• Are legally entitled to work in Canada
• Able to meet with a mentor during regular work hours

Mentors

Benevolent working professionals who are interested in sharing information and experiences with a foreign trained professional, and have:

• At least 5 years experience in their fields in Canada
• A strong understanding of the Canadian workplace culture and knowledge of the skills required to meet the market demands
• An interest in and an understanding of other cultures
• Previous experience in mentoring or have been mentored
• Are  interested  in further developing their leadership skills

Program Description  

A four month structured program which includes:

• 16 weekly meetings over four months - approximately 1-1.5 hours
• Mentee and Mentor Orientation Session
• Ongoing support by the Mentoring Coordinator
• Opportunities to provide feedback on the program

Costs

This program is made possible for no charge through an investment by the United Way of Calgary.

 For more information, please contact us!

CRTP partners with the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council (CRIEC)

CRTP has joined CRIEC in bringing skilled immigrants and established professionals together in occupation-specific mentoring relationships. The goal of the program is to help newcomers find work commensurate with their education and experience, build inclusive workplaces, and strengthen the ability of Calgary organizations to attract and retain talent.

The partnership enables CRTP to offer more mentoring relationships to its students. By participating in CRIEC’s Mentoring Program, CRTP students have the opportunity to develop a professional network, learn effective job-search strategies, gain a better understanding of Canadian workplace culture, and obtain industry and occupation-specific information.

Many mentees, their mentors, and mentor organizations have already benefitted from the program. To learn firsthand about CRIEC’s mentoring program, visit criec.ca.

Brochure for Mentorship Program

Click here to view a informational brochure on for the Mentoring Internationally Trained Professionals program.

Thank you to our funders!

This program has recieved funding from the United Way of Calgary to develop, pilot and launch this initiative.