Mentorship is a unique relationship between a person who is experienced in a particular trade or industry and a person who is newer to the industry.

Mentorship isn’t a replacement for formal education or training programs. Instead, it complements other types of learning and allows people who are new to the industry to gain knowledge and insight in a one-on-one, casual setting.

Mentorship gives mentees the opportunity to ask questions and receive insight that is specific to their interests, goals and ambitions.

A mentor may share with a mentee information about his or her own career path, as well as provide guidance, motivation, emotional support, and role modeling. A mentor may help with exploring careers, setting goals, developing contacts, and identifying resources.

The mentee should absorb the mentor’s knowledge and have the ambition and desire to know what to do with this knowledge. The mentee needs to practice and demonstrate what has been learned.

For both parties, mentoring should be an established interaction and dialogue where reflection is facilitated by the mentor.

In some cases, prospective mentees find a mentor through a formal network or mentorship program that pairs mentors and mentees. Formal mentoring in the workplace involves mentors and mentees meeting up for frequent face-to-face mentoring sessions over a longer period.

These programs are structured and organized by program administrators. Formal programs include ones run through professional associations such as the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers or local programs such as Organized Kaos.

However, it is common for mentorship to develop naturally when a younger industry professional meets someone more experienced in the industry. The information and wisdom that mentors provide is valuable and it does not have to cost anything for mentees to work with mentors.

Mentors offer their time and knowledge, and they enjoy the opportunity to guide people who are just beginning their careers to help them reach their goals. A mentor also receives benefits – not only do they experience more meaning in their work, they gain important skills to improve as a leader. 

Industries where mentorship is more common include manufacturing, engineering, media, and the skilled trades where during the course of the apprenticeship, an apprentice and journeyman interact in a mentor/mentee situation for several years.

In many fields, a mentoring program shows potential employees a good corporate culture. An employee or supervisor taking someone under their wing promotes a different kind of bonding and knowledge sharing. It signals a supportive environment.

This kind of employee engagement can reduce turnover, always a critical goal.

Links to Resources:

Mentorship | CMPA

Skills for Change | Mentoring for Change – Skills for Change

Mentorship Program in Toronto (GTA) – The Career Foundation

Organized Kaos – Programs

Skills Ontario

Mentorship Program (ospe.on.ca)

Indigenous Mentorship Network of Ontario – Indigenous Mentorship Network of Ontario – Western University (uwo.ca)

Scholarships and Grants | NPAAMB

Brantford Regional Indigenous Support Centre – OFIFC

Things looked bleak for Brooks Signs in the spring of 2020.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Brant County company was allowed to continue to manufacture signs. But because construction wasn’t classified as an essential service at that time, the company wasn’t allowed to send workers out to install the illuminated signs at businesses who ordered them, meaning Brooks Signs wouldn’t be paid.

“Rather than close our shop and lay off our employees, our team collaborated and came up with the idea to pivot our focus, leverage our fabrication skillset, and address the threat to our community,” recalls President Jason Schwandt.

The idea Brooks Signs pivoted to was manufacturing plexiglass barriers.

The Workforce Planning Board is celebrating Brooks Signs as one of the local businesses whose employees are Workforce Heroes.

The company purchased four plastic bending machines, trained their employees on them, sourced raw material, and started making the shields used in grocery stores, schools, doctor’s offices and local businesses.

“The revenue from these products was sufficient to carry us through that challenging time and resulted in us not having to lay off any of our team,” said Schwandt. “At the same time, it was reassuring to know that our products were being used in the local community to help prevent the spread of the COVID virus.”

Schwandt, who purchased the business with a partner just months before the pandemic, was impressed by the resourcefulness and adaptability of his employees.

“It was exciting to see people get behind what we were doing and see how passionate they were about working together for a common cause.”

It took a lot of practice, trial and error, for workers to get the plexiglass shields just right using machines they had never used before. With a global supply shortage, raw material was scarce and, at one point, material was even sourced on Kijiji.

Brooks Signs started off making customized plexiglass barriers, before moving to some producing several standardized designs based on customer demand. The company ran a giveaway promotion, inviting businesses to say why they could use the shields. Three businesses with the best responses were given free barriers.

“Going through this exercise gave me great confidence in the resilience, resourcefulness, and capabilities of our team here at Brooks Signs, and this experience will only make us stronger as a business,” Schwandt said.

Visit Brooks Sign’s website to learn more about the company.