Mentors

Consider mentoring a youth to a hopeful future

The Job Opportunity and Placement Initiative (JOPI) is an employment ministry that seeks to transform the lives of youth and young adults facing employment barriers. Our focus is on preparing youth between the ages of 16-29 for successful employment i.e., to become employment ready.  Our research shows that mentors, especially those who have working careers, can really make a difference.
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Why be a professional mentor?

By becoming a mentor, you can have a significant impact on a young person who is entering the workforce or perhaps starting their own business.  This win/win relationship offers you the chance to participate in what God is doing in a young person’s life - helping them reach their full potential.  It’s also a chance to connect with this generation, build into the Toronto community and honestly, help shape the future.

Join the JOPI mentorship core by contacting us to find out more.  Really, it’s not as daunting as you think.

What’s required of a Professional Mentor?

  • Have over 5 years of professional (working) experience

  • Develop a caring, nurturing, and supportive relationship with at risk youth as they join the workforce

  • Be a caring adult and positive role model encouraging and coaching mentees to set and meet their working goals

  • Work collaboratively with the JOPI Coordinator to provide critical feedback informing ongoing engagement with mentees

  • Create a Mentor Profile on the JOPI community pages
  • Learn best practices on being a mentor (Transformational Mentorship training)

  • Receive a match with a youth who we think you would be a great mentor for and begin a personalized mentoring relationship that works for you and your schedule. We ask that you have at least 8 personal meetings with your mentee over the course of 6 months.

  • Receive a Vulnerable Sector Search Police Reference Check Clearance

  • Participate in our pre-screening process

A Success Story

Today Brent is a successful executive in a prestigious company.  His beginnings were much humbler.  Brent, who grew up in a vulnerable neighborhood, says that he did not know any men who went to work on a regular basis.  Really?! The network of a young boy would be relatively small; however, he confirms that there was not even one man to set the example.  As a young adult he was mentored in university but the mentor that he encountered in his early career played one of the most vital roles in his success today.
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