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Alumni - Student Mentoring Programme
Maria Curran and Sean Gallagher, Employability and Marketing
Roisin McNamara, Development and Alumni Relations Office
Introduction
Skills developed by mentees
•Employability and Marketing and the Alumni Relations Office developed and
launched a pilot mentoring programme to support student employability and
alumni engagement.
•The programme aims were to match current Ulster students with an
experienced professional, who could inspire and empower the students to
take control of their own careers, seek out opportunities for professional
development and grow in self-confidence.
Objectives
•Offer a clear and positive effect on student personal and professional
development increasing self-confidence and personal awareness
•Provide access to the experience, knowledge and expertise of the mentor
•Help students expand their professional network, focus on professional goals
and reflect upon progress
Launch of eMentoring Programme
The outcomes of this pilot have shaped the future development of the mentoring
programme. To enable more students and international alumni to take part the
mentoring programme has gone online.
•The eMentoring Programme will commence April 2015. It is envisaged that
the programme will be open to all Ulster University undergraduate students in
2015/16.
•Details of the Programme and online registration is located on the Career
Development Centre website.
•A video with the student mentees involved in the initial pilot has been
created and is located on the website.
Method
The project initially ran as a pilot in Autumn 2014 with a small cohort of student
mentees and alumni mentors. A total of 22 second year Law and final year
Hospitality and Tourism Management students took part.
•Throughout the period the students and alumni carried out a range of
meetings and discussed a variety of employability related issues.
•Mentor/Mentee contacts occurred via email, telephone and face -to- face.
•Students who successfully completed the programme and reflected on their
experiences were accredited with an EDGE activity.
Key successes
The mentoring programme is giving students opportunities to develop graduate
qualities and a range of skills with the highest being confidence, planning &
organisation and communication skills. The most popular topics discussed over
the period include work experience/internships, CV advice and how to stand out in
a competitive marketplace.
Student mentees and Alumni mentors had a very positive and beneficial
experience.
•Students attend an induction prior to commencement of the programme to
support engagement.
References
Universities researched to identify good practice:
Trinity College Dublin; Manchester Metropolitan University; University of
Edinburgh; University of Northampton; City University; Lincoln College, Oxford
University; University of St Andrews; University of Liverpool; University of Hull;
University of Reading; University of Essex; Lancaster University.
Technology providers researched for e-mentoring software:
Aluminati; VineUp; Chronus Mentor; Potentiality; Insala; MentorNet; Brightside
Online Mentoring; Graduway; MentorMatch Ltd; eMentor Pro; CSO Research
Interfase; Couraud MentorMatch; Careers Hub.
Getting Involved
For further information on how your students and alumni can get involved, staff
can contact Maria Curran, Employability & Marketing
E: m.curran@ulster.ac.uk
T: 028 9036 8423
“I would say to anyone thinking of joining the Alumni - Student Mentoring
Programme to go ahead as it opens many opportunities for students that
wouldn’t be open to them otherwise.”
“Overall I think this programme is great, from it I have secured two new
connections that I definitely will be using in the future. My mentor was able to
clarify a lot of different things for me; I think this programme worked well as your
mentor is someone who you want to become...”
ulster.ac.uk
maria Curran poster.indd 1
20/04/2015 09:52