Overview of Mentorship Project

Project description

The City of Vancouver Mentorship Pilot Project is a joint initiative of the City of Vancouver, ISSofBC, MOSAIC, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and the Immigrant Employment Council of BC. This pilot project is one of the first of its kind for the public sector in Western Canada, and the City is excited to provide a leadership role by participating in the pilot project, and providing a successful model to be followed by other municipalities.

Wrap-up event (video)

Background

In this context, it is pertinent to mention the recommendations of Mayor’s Task Force on Immigration, which was formed in 2006, to recommend key policy and program directions to Mayor and Council regarding integration of immigrants into local communities, and immigration policies in general. In the report presented to Council on November 13, 2007, the task force focused on key priorities such as employment, access to services and integration, engagement and anti-racism initiatives among others. In its broad recommendations to Council on immigrant employment issues, mentorship program was referenced as a way to provide internationally trained skilled immigrants with an awareness of local work cultures and networking opportunities, thereby improving their opportunities to access employment commensurate with their qualifications.

Project goal

As project partners, the City will invite and support employees of the City to participate as mentors to skilled immigrants. The goal of the program is to match 12 to 18 City employees to internationally trained immigrants.

Project process

Staff from Engineering, Finance, Accounting and Information Technology departments will be requested to participate as mentors to skilled immigrants. Mentees will be drawn from the pool of skilled immigrant professional of the three participating Immigrant Service Agencies (ISOs). Mentors and mentees will meet primarily through face-to-face contact, complemented by telephone and e-mail communication. The time commitment is 24 hours over a four-month span.

Benefits

In a mutually beneficial relationship, both mentors and mentees will gain invaluable experience. Mentorship provides a practical way to build leadership skills. Mentors benefit by broadening their horizons, acquiring knowledge of other cultures, and experiencing the pride of sharing their knowledge and expertise with new Canadians. Mentees will gain an understanding of local labour market, knowledge of local occupational requirements and viable entry points, as well an understanding of Canadian work culture.

Co-ordination and implementation

The City's Equal Employment Opportunity Program, Human Resources and Social Policy staff are responsible for the coordination and implementation of the project. Support to the City is provided through the Mentorship Steering Committee that includes Immigrant Employment Council of BC (IECBC) and the Immigrant Service Agencies (ISOs).

Next steps

EEO has canvassed GMs (in Engineering, Finance, IT, Planning, HR and Graphics) to identify 12 to 18 potential mentors who can each provide 24 hours of mentoring over four months (six hours a month) to clients of MOSAIC, SUCCESS and Immigrant Services Society who will provide orientation and support through the mentoring process. Efforts to seek mentors have exceeded expectations, both in numbers and quality of mentors. We have been able to secure 19 mentorship opportunities. Mentors include GM of Engineering Services, senior managers from Engineering, Finance and Information Technology. Suitable matches have been provided by ISOs.

Backgrounder (PDF 53 kb)

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