National Mentoring Month takes place each January and gives us all a chance to recognize the value of mentorship and to celebrate the hardworking mentors in our homes, offices and communities.
Mentoring can be a truly life-changing experience that benefits all parties involved. According to one mentee, it’s an opportunity for sharing knowledge “gained over 30, 40, 50 years in the work environment and giving that knowledge to somebody who will start using it from day one”. For the full article, which profiles the relationship between a federal retiree and his mentee, refer to “Guidance and Ongoing Bonds” from the summer 2018 issue of Sage magazine (page 27).
In 2016, Federal Retirees approached the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) to create a mentoring partnership using the GCcollab platform. We received an outpouring of support and, within days, we had exceeded our target of 150 volunteer mentors. As it stands today, over 300 Federal Retirees members have generously stepped forward to share their experience with the next generation of public servants.
This January, you can participate in Mentoring Month by sharing your positive mentoring experiences on social media using the hashtag #MentoringMonth. Your mentoring story can inspire others to become mentors too!
Of course, you can also participate in mentoring month by becoming a mentor yourself and supporting the professional development of a current public servant. To let others know you’re interested in mentoring, visit the GCcollab Opportunities Platform and create your profile. TBS has prepared step-by-step instructions to guide you through the process of setting up a profile and getting started as a mentor. If you have any additional questions, please contact Hazel Wong at Hazel.Wong@tbs-sct.gc.ca.
We all need leadership, support and motivation at some point in our lives and mentors can be that guiding light. To all those who have decided to become mentors, we’d like to express our heartfelt thanks!