CHICAGO, Ill., July 14, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — This fall, Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) (https://acifund.org) is expanding its College-to-Career (https://bit.ly/2ZnBbUx) offerings to include a Career Mentoring Program which matches college seniors with business mentors who will help guide the students as they launch careers. The new mentoring program will be available through career services offices at ACI’s 27 member colleges and universities (https://acifund.org/member-college-directory/).
ACI’s Career Mentoring Program is funded in part through a National Venture Fund grant from the Council of Independent Colleges (https://www.cic.edu), Washington, D.C.
ACI’s Career Mentoring Program is a partnership with Mentoring Complete (https://www.mentoringcomplete.com/), a St. Louis-based firm with considerable experience in successful business and corporate mentoring programs. Among its clients are Enterprise Holdings, New York Power Authority, OhioHealth and Reach International.
“We’re designing the Career Mentoring Program to help get college seniors engaged at a high level with mentors in their chosen career fields, and to help them begin successful careers and be productive citizens,” said Mick Weltman, ACI executive director. Career mentoring complements other components of ACI’s College-to-Career programs, he said.
The programs include Work and Life Skills Boot Camps, and ACI’s Career Development Conference and Career Expo, which help students prepare for careers; micro-internships through Parker Dewey, which help students get valuable work experience while in college; and ACI’s job-postings page (https://acifund.org/jobs-and-internships/), which announces positions available for alumni of ACI-affiliated schools.
Students and their career mentors can have honest conversations about the areas of development most important to the student, says Aaron Adams, partner and mentoring expert with Mentoring Complete. “The design of the program creates consistent interactions, so the mentor and mentee have opportunities to assess how things are progressing, and make adjustments along the way,” he said. “Mentees (students) develop a better understanding of how to translate what they’ve learned in the classroom into the workplace.” In some cases, mentors can help mentees find future career opportunities.
Career Mentoring Program dates for the fall term are Sept. 15, 2020 to Dec. 15, 2020. Spring program dates are Jan. 15, 2021 to April 30, 2021. ACI will work with career services teams at member colleges and universities to publicize the new program and recruit mentees, who will be placed with potential mentors as available.
Meanwhile, ACI will reach out to corporate sponsors and strategic partners to recruit experienced mentors. People interested in becoming mentors should apply though the career mentoring website (https://www.get.mentoringcomplete.com/aci-business-mentor). Mentors will be paired with mentees for one semester based on availability.
About ACI:
Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) is a collaboration of 27 private, independent colleges and universities, representing more than 70,000 students. Established in 1952, ACI supports member colleges and universities by advancing independent liberal arts and sciences education and helping underserved students succeed in college, career and life. The organization raises funds for scholarships, peer mentoring and emergency financial aid, and it provides member services such as professional development conferences and college-to-career seminars and events. Visit ACI’s website (https://acifund.org) for more information.
Media Contact:
John R. Brooks, APR
Director of Communication
312-263-2391, ext. 3
jbrooks@acifund.org
News Source: Associated Colleges of Illinois
