The Mentoring Services department is set to roll out industry mentoring later this month. The programme, which will run twice a year, will be open to the 3rd and 4th year students in the University: It will not replace personal mentoring but will work hand in hand to complement it.
From the beginning, Strathmore University has been characterized by personal attention and dedication to each of its students, especially through student mentoring.
Mentoring ensures that students are not only trained professionally, but that they also acquire the personal qualities and the necessary preparation to be responsible citizens, with values, such as good conduct and hard work. Mentoring contributes to this goal, providing students with the guidance of a mentor, so they can better develop their potential and make the most of their university education.
In addition, the relationship between the mentor and the student provides opportunities to establish tailor-made relationships that guide students through difficult circumstances, thus enabling them take advantage of the stimulating university environment.
Industry mentoring
In order to improve preparation for the job market, students require interactive sessions with experts from industry who will advise and direct them on the requirements of professional life in their specific fields of study. Industry mentoring will therefore come in to bridge this gap.
Unlike personal mentoring which is done on a one to one basis, industry mentoring will be carried out in groups. The mentoring cycle will run for 10 weeks and the content of the initial meetings will be communicated, while subsequent meetings will be built around the students’ interests, queries and the mentor’s experience.
Our industry mentors are selected based on their work and life experience in the private and public sector and their willingness to share their time, skills, and knowledge with Strathmore undergraduate students.
Many organisations are prepared to spend their time and engage their student teams further in between the group meetings. This contact time could be by e-mail, WhatsApp, face-time, Skype, or by inviting the team to visit their organisation.
A pilot phase of industry mentoring was conducted in 2019. One student participant described the experience as amazing and eye-opening. “It has helped me get to view how the real world works, giving me a chance to get a head start on what to expect once I’m done with university.”
An industry mentor, on the other hand, had this to say, “It was engaging especially when the mentees felt that it was a safe space to talk about their personal and academic challenges.”
We look forward to the launch of this programme with the hope that many, if not all students, will apply and greatly benefit from it.
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