National Mentoring Month, established in 2002 and observed every January, celebrates the power of mentoring and how it supports organizational productivity, engagement and satisfaction.
Compared to traditional train-to-hire and direct hire models, apprenticeships that build mentor/mentee relationships allow for more in-depth training and a better connection between the candidate and employer. The concept of apprenticeship dates back to the middle ages, and has been an integral part of the American landscape since the colonial era. Ben Franklin himself worked as an apprentice in the printing trade. Today, American workers note professional networking and skill development as top requirements for career advancement, yet many struggle to make worthwhile connections.
Modern apprenticeships, many of which are in high-demand technology fields, set workers up for success by placing them with employers who recognize the value of cultivating skills development and relationship building, thus creating opportunities for mentorship to occur.
In a recent article, University of Phoenix Chief Operating Officer Raghu Krishnaiah said, “Individuals can build their social capital by identifying and asking a trusted advisor to be a mentor, and by forming a network of individuals in the field that interests them – in the workplace, college societies and professors, alumni and professional associations, churches, members of their community. Social capital is critical to career advancement, and for many workers, it does not exist. The lack of social capital has an outsized impact on people of color and is part of a structural disadvantage.”
Krishnaiah sites the University of Phoenix’s partnership with Woz U and how its Technology Apprenticeship Program creates mentorship opportunities while students work toward the completion of a BSIT degree.
In honor of National Mentoring Month, Woz U encourages you to explore the ways you can build relationships within your business and professional circles.
