SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The nonprofit Believe in Syracuse plans to launch a new mentorship program before May. The Greater Syracuse Career Mentoring program seeks to increase educational opportunities for students by helping them work on career skills, per a news release about the program. The initiative also seeks to boost college graduation rates throughout the […]
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The Greater Syracuse Career Mentoring program seeks to increase educational opportunities for students by helping them work on career skills, per a news release about the program. The initiative also seeks to boost college graduation rates throughout the region with the hope that it will “ultimately fuel our regional economy by helping local employers find and keep quality local talent.”
When the Greater Syracuse Career Mentoring (GSCM) program launches, it will begin with 30 Say Yes Scholars from the Syracuse City School District who will be connected with between 15 and 30 local college-educated professionals. The mentors will help the students sharpen career skills and show them how their skillsets and talents can directly benefit employers in Central New York.
Volunteering as a mentor is about a five-to-10-hour commitment per month. Interested professionals are asked to email Believe in Syracuse at mentoring@believeinsyracuse.org.
Students and mentors will be connected through a new, interactive digital platform. The portal is “convenient” during the pandemic and times of social distancing, but it also positions GSCM to be “successful well into the future” as the program expands, to help students who want to attend colleges outside of Central New York, the organization contends.
Believe in Syracuse hopes to double participation next year, and by 2025, organizers project 50 percent of GSCM participants will become Central New York employees.
“More than half of adults in Central New York have only the equivalent of, or less than, a high school diploma. With many Say Yes Scholars being first-generation college students, they may not feel like they will have opportunities to find a career here after they graduate,” Ahmeed Turner, executive director of Say Yes Syracuse, said in the release. “Our program will help shift that perspective, and these mentoring relationships will help students feel a stronger connection to our community.”
Turner is also a member of Believe in Syracuse and one of the founders of the GSCM program.
By “fostering this sense of belonging now,” Believe in Syracuse hopes more students will choose to stay in Central New York to start their careers, “helping local employers find talent.”
“We are being strategic about how we match Say Yes scholars with professionals in our community where interests and opportunities align,” Sally Sayles-Hannon, president of the board of directors for Believe in Syracuse, said. “We are excited to launch this program and provide a boost to the local economy. The Greater Syracuse Career Mentoring Program directly supports Believe in Syracuse’s mission to create partnerships, drive success and promote pride throughout Greater Syracuse and Central New York to contribute to sustaining a stronger community.”
Believe in Syracuse also credits the support of the Community Foundation of Central New York in launching the program, along with community partners that include the Syracuse City School District, Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection, volunteers, and the mentors involved.
Believe in Syracuse describes itself as a volunteer organization that “creates partnerships, drives progress and promotes pride throughout Syracuse and Central New York.” Established in 2013, the organization works to “cultivate an inclusive community and network through retaining and attracting engaged residents, building civic engagement, and enhancing the well-being of community to drive continued success.”