UNITECH MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME

For UNITECH Graduands and Alumni seeking personalized career guidance, skill development, and support from experienced leaders to navigate challenges, achieve professional goals, and accelerate their career growth.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The UNITECH Mentorship Programme is designed to provide critical support and guidance to recent UNITECH Graduands (students who have fulfilled all requirements, but have not officially graduated yet), Graduates and Alumni as they start their professional careers. By connecting them with experienced UNITECH Alumni and Corporate Partners, the programme fosters professional development, career advancement, and knowledge sharing. The goal is to create a personalized growth journey, helping mentees navigate job searches, develop new skills, tackle complex projects, and explore career shifts.

Mentors, through this programme, can enhance their leadership and coaching abilities, expand their professional networks, and play a pivotal role in shaping future talent. Mentees, on the other hand, benefit from tailored guidance, skill enhancement, networking opportunities, and strategic career support. This year-long programme facilitates meaningful, bi-monthly mentor-mentee meetings and offers additional workshops, networking events, and structured resources to ensure a productive collaboration.

For UNITECH, the programme strengthens alumni engagement, reactivates earlier generations of alumni, and nurtures a pipeline for future mentors, ensuring continued support for career development within the UNITECH community. It is an invaluable platform for both mentors and mentees to learn, grow, and contribute to the success of the next generation of STEM professionals.

The "Why"?

While participating in the UNITECH Programme the students often work in groups building the necessary skills and experience that will help them navigate and thrive in a fast-paced work environment. This way they smoothly transition from the academic to the professional world.

The UNITECH Mentorship Programme on the other hand is designed to provide critical support during the early stages of one’s professional career, beginning right after completing all UNITECH modules. Transitioning into new environments with added responsibilities often brings questions and challenges that require guidance. This mentorship programme offers a personalized growth journey, where recent UNITECH Graduates and UNITECH Alumni can learn from experienced, high-performing leaders. Whether it's navigating the first job search, developing a new skill set, tackling a challenging project, or exploring a career change, this mentorship provides tailored support to help participants achieve their specific goals. By offering real-world insights and hands-on advice, the Mentorship Programme helps achieve professional goals making it an invaluable resource for UNITECH members’ career development.

UNITECH creates value after the programme

Participants will focus on a specific goal or challenge, guided by high-performing leaders who provide tailored advice, real-world insights, and actionable strategies to help them achieve their professional aspirations.

UNITECH Participants engagement after leaving the Programme

Once the students finish their mandatory modules and go back to their universities to finish their studies, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain the engagement with the organization. Participation in the mentoring programme will encourage students to stay active within the community.

Mentor pipeline

Mentees participating in the programme represent a valuable pipeline for future mentors, as they gain firsthand experience and insight into the benefits of mentorship. By engaging in the programme, they develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to guide the next generation, ensuring a sustainable and growing network of mentors within the UNITECH community.

Reactivating older generations

The programme will also help us to reconnect with the early generations of UNITECH alumni increasing engagement and strengthening the community.

Objectives

The overraching objectives of the programme are:

Professional Development: Provide mentees with personalized guidance and support to help navigate the envisioned career path, enhance their skills, knowledge, and competencies.
Career Advancement: Empower mentees to set and achieve career goals through guidance, feedback, and networking opportunities provided by their mentors.
Knowledge Sharing: Facilitate the exchange of ideas, best practices, and lessons learned between mentors and mentees.
Networking: Providing the opportunity to expand the mentees network and connecting them with employees across different levels and departments within the organization.

Programme Framework

General

Mentor & Mentee selection: The applicants for both mentor and mentee roles will be invited to fill out a questionnaire that will check their suitability for the mentor/mentee role (Tool: Typeform). They will have to meet a set criteria as well as answer a few questions about their experience, goals and values. Mentors and mentees will be selected by the selection committee (UNITECH Office & UAA Council).
Matching Process: Mentors and mentees will be matched based on their goals, interests, and areas of expertise, ensuring meaningful and productive mentor-mentee relationships.
Collaboration: Working together will take place on preferred conferencing platforms (Teams, Zoom or similar).
Duration: The mentorship program will run for one (1) year. Mentors and mentees are required to meet every two (2) months. However, the exact number of meetings are defined between the mentor and the mentee.
Format: Mentors and mentees are required to have bi-monthly meetings. More frequent meetings are encouraged. In order to provide the structure and maximize the impact of the programme, we have a list of suggested topics that participants may follow. Mentees are responsible for scheduling the meetings. The list of suggested meetings can be found in the “Mandatory Meetings” section.
Feedback: After each meeting mentors and mentees will be asked to submit a feedback form that will allow us to ensure that both parties are having a productive collaboration and are effectively working towards their goals.

Collaboration after the official closure of the mentorship is encouraged and can be continued should mentor and mentee bilaterally agree.

Mentorship sessions may take various forms, including one-on-one meetings, group discussions, workshops, and networking events, tailored to meet the needs of participants. There is no limit to the number or types of meetings. The agreement should be made based on the mentors and mentees needs and availability.

Kick-off sessions

The Kick-off Session will mark the start of the programme, where all mentees and mentors will come together. The session will have the following parts:

Sharing expectations in breakout rooms
A short workshop on successful mentorship
Ice-breaker conversation with paired mentees and mentors in the breakout rooms

Meeting guidlines

Mentors and Mentees should have at least one meeting every two months (more frequent meetings are encouraged). Below we have a list of suggested topics that may help the mentors and mentees to keep the structure for their collaboration throughout the year. However, the topics can be adjusted for the mentees’ goals and needs.

1st session Build the Relationship & the Goals
2nd session Define needed skills
3rd session Create Action Plan
4th session How to overcome challenges
5th session Networking
6th session Plan the future

Possibility for additional workshops

Before the programme's official start we will offer a separate session for mentors and mentees to prepare for collaboration and set them up for success. Potential topics - Do’s and dont's in mentoring, Roles and responsibilities of mentors and mentees and similar.

To bring the community together, halfway through the programme mentors and mentees may be invited to attend a topical workshop (e.g. resilient leadership).

Check-ins and mismatching

The UNITECH Office is always available upon request in case any issues, concerns or questions arise.

Mentors and mentees will have a mid-year review feedback survey to check their expectations and the progress of the programme.

In case a mentor and/or mentee feel like there has been a mismatch, they should inform the Office immediately. Both mentors and mentees can decide to withdraw from the programme at any time.

Mentors and mentees will be asked to fill out a feedback form after every meeting, so the UNITECH Office can follow and notice early, should any issues arise.

Closure of the Programme

Feedback form to be sent to mentors and mentees to learn how to improve for the next cohort. Potential for learning/feedback session with all the mentors and mentees to officially close the programme and to share the best practices.

Our mentors:

Cultivate Leadership: Enhance your leadership and coaching abilities through hands-on mentoring
Shape Future Talent: Play a crucial role in the growth and success of emerging professionals.
Identify Talents: Connect with and identify future talents for your team or organization
Broaden Your Network: Connect with diverse individuals and expand your professional network.
Strengthen Your Personal Brand: Boost your visibility in the tech industry by sharing your mentoring stories, showcasing mentee feedback, and being highlighted in our blog, social media, and events.

What we are looking for

Membership: Mentor has to be a member of UNITECH Corporate/Academic Partners or UNITECH Alumni
Professional Experience: Minimum of 5-10 years of experience in their field with a proven track record of success and leadership.
Expertise: Deep knowledge and expertice in their specific field/area.
Networking: Established network within the industry and willingness to facilitate introductions and networking opportunities for mentees.
Commitment: Willingness to dedicate time to mentoring, including regular meetings with mentees and participation in program activities for 1 year.
Communication Skills: Excellent communication skills to effectively guide, support, and provide constructive feedback to mentees.
Empathy and Patience: A strong desire to help others succeed, with patience and the ability to understand and address the unique challenges faced by mentees.
Professional Conduct: Commitment to ethical standards and professional behavior, serving as a role model for mentees.

Closure of the Programme Feedback form to be sent to mentors and mentees to learn how to improve for the next cohort. Potential for learning/feedback session with all the mentors and mentees to officially close the programme and to share the best practices.

JOINING THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME

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