By Sharon Kibaara

On June 3, 2022, the Placement and Career Services held the first training session of mentees ahead of the Alumni-Student Mentorship Program that begins in July 2022. The Department started off with the orientation of mentees. This will go on throughout the month of June 2022. In this session, the mentees were given a basic introduction to what mentorship is and the importance of having a mentor. Some of the purposes of mentorship discussed were training, motivation, advice, and coaching.

There was a detailed presentation of the overview and structure of the program from its conception to termination after six months, which is the duration of the program. The mentees were also informed on the guide that will be used in the mentorship program along with the specific areas the program aims to focus on. These areas include; personal growth, career development, time management, and creating meaningful networks.

The presentation also included detailed information about who a mentor is and what qualifies a person to be a mentor, an example is the willingness of that person to help with their time and expertise to train and guide those who are in need. The mentees were also trained on what is expected of them throughout the program and given tips on what makes a good mentee and ways in which the mentee can fully benefit from the program.

The presentation ended with the discussion of the code of conduct of the mentee and the mentor, and the measures that are in place to deal with the breach of the code of conduct by either party. There will be training sessions held throughout the month in preparation for the launch of the mentorship program in July.