Mentoring Partnerships: Information for Businesses and other Groups

Are you a business person who is interested in finding out how you can help your community and local schools? Mentoring programs are one great way to get involved.

There is no question that education is the key to our country’s future. The School-to-Work Opportunities Act, passed in 1994, recognized that about three quarters of our nation’s high school students enter the workforce without the occupational skills they need to be successful. More and more, youth are failing to connect what they learn in school with skills they will need later in life. This is why more and more businesses are partnering with schools to help prepare youth for the world of work.

The effectiveness of mentoring has been shown time and time again. Youth who have mentors are less likely to drop out of school, have poor attendance, or use drugs or alcohol. Mentoring has been shown to have a deep and lasting effect, one reason many businesses are signing up to send their employees to local schools as mentors. The Anne Arundel County Mentoring Roundtable will act as a clearinghouse, connecting interested businesses with mentoring programs in need of dedicated volunteer mentors. Once a business has agreed to sponsor a mentoring program, the Roundtable will provide guidance, training, and support. Interested employees can visit a local school for an hour a week or less to spend time with their mentee. Mentoring programs benefit the business partner as well. In addition to providing great public relations, programs boost employee morale, and allow you to contribute to the development of your future workforce.

     For more information, e-mail Pam Youngs or call 410-897-9207.

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