JobIRL’s E-Mentoring Programme

Abstract

The E-mentoring program is delivered through an online platform and will soon be available on mobile phones via a dedicated web-app. Through the programme, mentors and mentees can communicate directly within a messaging space and use the different online resources. These resources, specific to each type of mentoring that a young person engages in, allow mentors to give assignments to mentees so that they become increasingly autonomous in their career development.

The platform allows each young person to be supported in their career development project regardless of their geographical location. Mentors are trained in the questions related to their mentee's study and career project and how to make use of the platform's different tools. Today, 800 mentors are involved in the programme, and 1,300 young people have already been supported by a mentor. The goal is to reach 2000 mentees in 2023, 2500 in 2024 and 3000 in 2025.

Resource overview

Website: https://www.jobirl.com/e-mentorat

Developed within the Connect to Your Future equal opportunity programme for disadvantaged territories, the E-Mentoring program students are helped to register and properly prepare for their mentor application. The student registers for E-Mentoring directly on the platform by filling out a form. In the form, they select the type of support they would like to receive. This might include a study and career exploration project, a search for an internship, or support for the Parcoursup PFM which is the application process for post-secondary education in France. Students then write a summary of their current situation and their expectations. Thereafter, they can access all the platform's features: orientation tests, videos with testimonials from professionals, advice sheets on various subjects, internships, and work-study offers. They also can contact via the messaging service of the platform the many volunteer professionals registered on JobIRL.com (a network that includes over 115,000 registrants including 7,300 volunteer professionals who are happy to be approached to provide career advice to young people aged 14 and over).

Students also have access to resources created especially for mentees based on the three types of support. As soon as they enter a mentoring relationship, their mentor contacts them first via the platform. They can then exchange information on the platform by sending each other documents as attachments in the messaging space. Throughout the mentoring process, the mentor refers the young person to online resources on JobIRL.com: quizzes, special reports, live job videos, etc.

Description of technology

The JobIRL E-Mentoring platform has been developed in PHP.

The forthcoming mobile application will also include note-taking tools and tasks to pace the exchanges. The mobile application will also integrate a messaging service, video conferencing and a calendar function.

How the resource makes career guidance more effective, efficient and/or equitable for students

Through E-Mentoring, a young person can benefit from the advice of an experienced professional who helps him or her to plan for the future. JobIRL puts the young person in touch with a professional who works in the employment sector he or she would like to join. In this way, the young person can discover professions that he or she would not have thought of, broaden his or her field of possibilities and think beyond the preconceived notions that he or she may have of certain professions. Thanks to their mentor, mentees gain self-confidence and ask themselves more questions about their professional future, which allows them to actively choose a career path for themselves rather than base their decisions on assumptions and social expectations. Moreover, E-Mentoring allows all young people, even those located in rural areas, to exchange with professionals in the sector of economic activity they wish to join, wherever they are in France.

Challenges or potential barriers to use

Access to the JobIRL E-Mentoring program is easy and free. Unlike face-to-face mentoring programs, it allows for a flexible and easy organisation of exchanges between mentor and mentee. JobIRL's web-app dedicated to E-Mentoring will further facilitate the relationship by allowing for appointments to be made on the application and for the exchange of live documents. Other features will be added regularly to improve this digital tool.

The resource is free of charge

Support for users

Distance mentoring requires a long-term commitment from the mentor and mentee (at least six months), which can be a barrier for some young people who are not used to this type of support. To help mentees stay engaged and get the most out of their mentorship, the JobIRL team calls them regularly by phone to check on their satisfaction, their expectations and needs. The strength of E-Mentoring, beyond the digital tools, is obviously based on the human dimension.

Additional details

 

Has the resource been…	Yes or No?	Description	Link
…informed by research?	Yes	JobIRL's E-Mentoring programme was developed in early 2021 based on an international benchmark conducted internally on online mentoring programs. The design takes into account successful experiences abroad, such as IMentor or ICoudBe, adapted to the needs of young people in France. The development of a web-app to facilitate exchanges between mentors and mentees was inspired by satisfaction and impact surveys conducted with beneficiaries.
…funded by government?	Yes	JobIRL's E-Mentoring programme has been funded since its launch by the French government through two successive calls for projects initiated under the "Mentoring Plan" in 2021 and 2022. JobIRL was the winner of both calls for projects and benefits from a multi-year agreement with the Ministry of Youth. JobIRL is a member of the "Collectif Mentorat" which was created in France within the framework of the "Plan Mentorat", which is part of the "1 Jeune 1 Solution" plan which aims to revive the country after the Covid crisis.	https://www.1jeune1mentor.fr/ https://www.1jeune1solution.gouv.fr/mentorat https://lementorat.fr/
…recognized by peers?	No
…evaluated?	No

This resource is government supported.

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