MENTOR Launches National Campaign To Promote Youth, Equity in Workplace Culture
National nonprofit provides resources and training for employers and workforce development organizations to advance best practices in recruitment and culture
May 13, 2022 /3BL Media/ - MENTOR, the unifying champion for the mentoring movement, launched a comprehensive workforce development campaign this week to create more diverse and equitable workplaces for our nation’s young people. Focused on promoting mentoring in the workplace, the 2022 Workplace Equity Pledge provides resources to individuals who want to manage with a mentoring mindset so employers can help ensure all young people have access to the opportunities, resources, and relationships they need to thrive.
Pairing social and economic capital through relationship-centered workplaces drives the diversity and inclusion necessary for more dynamic and successful organizations. This approach helps employers open doors and helps young employees leverage their experiences, strengths, and abilities in the workplace, leading to greater retention and career pathways. David Shapiro, MENTOR’s CEO, says, “We need to be thinking about early exposure to careers as young people determine what’s possible and then ultimately ensure they have the real-world connections and relationships to gain access and chart a path -- no matter what jobs they are in. Our workplace campaign aims to make sure that employers reflect on their practices, training, and culture, and we help them make the mutually beneficial and necessary shifts and enhancements to expand their efforts and shift culture to create relationship-centered workplaces that recruit, retain, and advance a wider range of employees who feel seen, heard, valued, and supported.”
Research shows that mentoring in the workplace is crucial for retaining young employees and supporting them on their career paths. A recent study by MENTOR of mentoring relationships within workforce development settings for young adults found that almost 90% of young adults who had mentors in the workplace were retained in their jobs for over 90 days; the same study found that 72% of participants felt their mentors helped them determine the next steps on their career or educational journey.
By taking the Workplace Equity Pledge, individuals gain access to free workplace equity resources, including a training that helps people more effectively connect with young people in the workplace and the Workplace Mentoring Supplement to the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring™. Pledge takers commit to taking action by encouraging congressional representatives to support the Youth Workforce Readiness Act, watching MENTOR’s training on bringing a mentoring mindset to the workplace, sharing resources about the power of workplace mentoring with their company’s DEI committee, or exploring MENTOR’s newest resource that provides the tips that mentors need to support young people today, Becoming a Better Mentor: Strategies to Be There for Young People. The campaign also spotlights partners across sectors who embody mentoring mindsets that support young people, as well as individual stories about the power of workplace mentoring. To see the latest campaign updates, follow MENTOR on social media.
ABOUT MENTOR
MENTOR is the unifying champion for expanding the quality and quantity of mentoring relationships across the United States. MENTOR was created more than 30 years ago to expand opportunities for young people by building a youth mentoring field and movement. The result: a more than 10-fold increase in young people in mentoring relationships. Today, MENTOR is the expert voice representing a movement that meets young people everywhere they are – from schools, to workplaces, and beyond. MENTOR operates in collaboration with 24 Affiliates providing local servant leadership and expertise across the nation, with several more in development.
