Workforce topic resources

Two workers collaborate through mentoring

Mentoring strategies that build effective workers

The Benefits of Mentoring

Through mentoring, employers gain:
  • An effective employee recruitment and retention tool
  • Improved supervisory skills, work habits and productivity
  • Increased employee job satisfaction
  • A way to promote professional development within the organization
  • An opportunity to create positive attitudinal changes in an organization's culture
  • An opportunity to help shape the workforce of tomorrow

how can you get Involved in Mentoring activities?

Your workers could play an important role in the career path of a young adult with a disability.

Mentoring is a process whereby employers with opportunities can help mentees with disabilities build confidence about their own employability, share firsthand job experiences to someone interested in their desired career field, develop lasting mentee relationships, gain access to a pool of new emerging talent, recruit short- and long-term interns and demonstrate positive leadership in their community.

Mentoring can be an important part of your overall human resourcres strategy - linking the workforce of tomorrow with individuals in your business who have already pursued the career track that may appeal to these new workers.

A mentoring program can help to match your future workers with a workplace mentor in your business. The mentoring experience could provide an opportunity to visit your job site and learn about day-to-day job experiences in an effort to better prepare and target their skills toward success in your area of business.

Facilitating job shadowing and mentoring opportunities for young adults with disabilities in your community is good for your company in many ways.

Mentoring experiences not only help to develop your work force but will also help you develop goodwill in the community, particularly with schools and programs that can be a helpful source of future workers. Activities can include One-On-One Job Shadowing, which individually pairs a mentee, or Group Visits to Worksites, in which mentees tour a workplace or meet with various employees on the job and learn first hand about different types of jobs and related opportunities within that career field.


Maine Mentoring Resources

  • Maine Disability Mentoring Day (DMD)—an event held every October—provides an opportunity for agencies and businesses to promote the career development of students and job seekers with disabilities through hands-on career exploration and on-site job shadowing. Maine DMD is a unique collaborative effort between businesses, agencies, schools, colleges, and media outlets to highlight the many benefits of hiring people with disabilities. Employers are encouraged to participate on a DMD Planning Committee, host a student, conduct a workshop, or provide financial or in-kind donations; the options are varied and the needs are many. To get involved, go here to contact the coordinator in your county.
  • Portland Mentoring Alliance — Established in 1992. Volunteer employees from businesses throughout Greater Portland are matched with Portland High School students to create supportive mentoring relationships. Contact Jane Ellis, Director of The Portland Mentoring Alliance at (207) 756-8437 or by email: ellisj@portlandschools.org.

National Mentoring Resources