December 2001 - Employee Satisfaction Through Mentoring

By Anne Mazurowski (3M)

Did you know that 50 out of 100 companies in the Twin Cities have some type of youth mentoring program? Perhaps you"d like to build a case to start or expand a program at your company. If so, hopefully, you were one of the 25 attendees at the CVC Best Practice Series titled "Employee Satisfaction through Mentoring." If you missed it, here are the highlights.

Joellen Gonder-Spacek, VP of Business, Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, facilitated the panel of experts from a variety of mentoring programs. Joellen provided an overview of what mentoring is; barriers and solutions; benefits to employers, employees, and young people; how to get started at your company; and examples of local business/school partnerships. If you have PowerPoint, view Joellen's presentation [180k Powerpoint presentation]. You can learn how the Mentoring Partnership will assist your company to establish or renew a mentoring program at: http://www.mentoringworks.org/

The following panelists spoke enthusiastically about their special programs and simple ways to involve employees:

• Sheila Piippo, Director of School-Based Programs, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Minneapolis http://www.bbbsmpls.org
  Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based mentoring program is a weekly one-on-one match during the school year. BBBS offers flexible scheduling, screening, training, and matching according to interests. One plus is the case managers are officed at the schools so mentors have ready access to ideas on how to engage their students. Interviews and trainings are at the workplace.
• Polly Roach, Two-Gether Program Coordinator, YWCA of St. Paul http://www.ywcaofstpaul.org
  Started in 1971, the Two-Gether program is a traditional mentoring model, in which women are matched with girls ages 7-17. Mentors commit to one year, and meet with their "Little" three or four times a month.
• LaShelle Egnash, Senior Director of Marketing, Junior Achievement http://www.jaum.org
  Junior Achievement has been in Minnesota for 52 years, and many of you are familiar with the curriculum. New programs that may interest your volunteers: are 1) "Blitzes" where an entire elementary school has the curriculum presented in one festive day, or 2) Exchange City in which 5th and 6th graders run a city at the new facility in Maplewood. Two-hour training sessions and mini simulations are offered for volunteers.
• Mary Mackbee, Principal, St. Paul Central High School
  http://www.central.stpaul.k12.mn.us/
  http://www.ceridian.com/corp/section/0,1337,291,00.html
  Mary gave an overview of the business partnership St. Paul Central has with Ceridian. This model program has a school to career connection that directly benefits students. Each spring and winter, Ceridian hosts job shadow days. Mentors are paired one-on-one with students for their four years of high school. Scholarships and internships are offered for the students, as well as an annual fellowship for a teacher.
  This partnership is a two-way street. St. Paul Central"s staff presents to Ceridian parents on topics such as how to talk with your kids and the drama class offers hints on how to speak with mentees.

If your employees might prefer e-mentoring, turn to Youth Ttrust for assistance in setting up a program. http://www.youthtrust.org

Many thanks to Christine Jones of Medtronic for hosting this exceptional session at their beautiful new facility. http://www.medtronic.com/foundation/

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