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The ProStart mentor
Supportive industry mentors are nothing short of essential to the success of the ProStart program. The worksite is a critical component of any effective school-to-career initiative and, particularly in this industry, enables students to gain the practical skills necessary to pursue a career in the field.
As a mentor you can:
- Make a significant impact on the lives of future industry leaders.
- Positively impact local youth as a team coach, counselor and role model. A mentor leads by example, helping students develop professional habits.
- Receive personal satisfaction by helping a student realize his or her potential.
- Apply key learnings obtained through the mentor/mentee relationship to enhance your own supervisory and management skills.
Benefits of being a ProStart mentor:
- Reduce costs of recruiting, selecting and training new employees.
- Create a supply of qualified, younger workers.
- Receive advance opportunities to recruit students for future employment.
- Create a low-risk means of screening new employees.
- Reduce turnover and create a long-term commitment from students.
- Enhance your company’s image within the community.
- Improve the quality of local school systems.
- Personal satisfaction.
ProStart Mentor Operator Commitments:
- Time commitment.
- Identification of one or more experienced employee mentors.
- Education of employees to ensure they support and understand the mentor program.
- Oversee mentors to ensure they are carrying out the program goals.
- Provision of letters of recommendation to deserving students
- Familiarization with training materials.
- Payment of at least minimum wage to mentored student.
- Provision of any necessary insurance to mentored student.
ProStart mentor operator responsibilities:
- Observance of all state and local labor regulations.
- Adherence to state and local sanitation and OSHA safety standards.
- Designation of an experienced employee to mentor no more than three interns.
- Agreement that the mentored student will be provided with 10 to 20 hours per week at starting wage.
- Mentor a limit of no more than three interns.
- Dedication of a short amount of time per week to providing students with feedback and monitoring their progress against the competencies checklist.
- Ensuring the mentored student rotates through competencies.
- Working with a school coordinator to monitor the progress of mentored students.
To download the ProStart Mentor's Guide, please click here.
