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Endless opportunities: GFBJ examines mentorship programs offered by institutions of higher learning throughout our seven county coverage area

By Staff Report, posted Apr 25, 2024 on BizFayetteville.com

For many young professionals, their future begins with a foot in the door. Mentorships, apprenticeships and working one on one to learn an industry can be enough to spark an entire career. Institutions of higher learning throughout the Greater Fayetteville Business Journal’s coverage area are proud to hold the door open by offering the chance to receive a hands on education across a number of trades and industries through their mentor and apprenticeship programs. 

Read on to learn more about the various programs being offered focusing on everything from trades to government contracting and so much more.

GAINS Mentoring Program 

The GAINS (Growing Alliances in STEM) Mentoring Program seeks to provide community, academic support and professional development for students of color in STEM. 

Student participants in the program are matched with a faculty mentor in their discipline who meets one-on-one with the student to support their professional development. The students are also placed in a group with three to four other students under the guidance of a peer mentor. Faculty members are expected to meet at least once a month with their mentees and peer mentors meet once every two weeks for the duration of the academic year. The programs also hold meetings focused on professional development topics and regularly promote departmental seminars and off campus workshops and conferences with students.

For further inquiries about the GAINS program, email the program director, Dr. Evan Reynolds at ereynolds@campbell. edu or find more information online at www.campbell.edu. 

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CamelLink

CamelLink is a new digital mentoring platform hosted by the Campbell University Alumni Association, created to serve both students and alumni by creating meaningful connections focused around career exploration and readiness, mentoring, networking and much more. Students and alumni can easily connect with one another with similar interests, career paths and professional development opportunities. 

Alumni are able to utilize the CamelLink to offer or receive career advice, mentor current Campbell students and expand their personal network. 

Students can use CamelLink to seek opportunities to meet mentors for conversations, arrange for job shadowing opportunities, find resources to help with their career process and more. 

Learn more about CamelLink online at www.alumni.campbell.edu

The DoD Mentor-Protégé Program 

Developed to provide incentives for mentors and development opportunities for protégés, this program was created by Public Law 101-510 and provides incentives for DoD prime contractors to assist small, disadvantaged businesses, enabling them to successfully compete for government contracts and subcontracts. The program enhances small businesses' technical capabilities and business acumen. 

Fayetteville State University (FSU) provides a wealth of information technology services and solutions, computer and communications systems knowledge, network software and testing expertise and various technical training to satisfy a protégé firm's technical requirements. 

Developmental assistance in the form of business courses are also available through 25 courses including Introduction to Small Business Management, Group and Organization Dynamics, Cyber Security and more. 

Small businesses can be connected to a counterpart and a program manager to help customize their own individual programs with the help of government contracting experts on staff. 

FSU is working with over 30 partners with the program including Booz Allen Hamilton, the Department of Defense, IONICS MSNC and more to help uplift small businesses. 

Learn more by going online to www. uncfsu.edu/academics/research/for-industry/mentor-program

The Y.E.S Initiative 

Originally standing for “You + Effort = Success,” the vision of the Y.E.S Initiative is to “provide students with opportunities to acquire academic skills, values, behaviors and form relationships that can have a profound effect on their lives.” 

The goal of The Y.E.S Initiative is to engage and retain FTCC students by supporting their educational and professional objectives through academic enhancement, character and leadership development. The Y.E.S Initiative program works to achieve these goals by providing success coaching, mentoring, college planning, college tours, career planning, leadership workshops and tutoring and academic services. 

This program is for those (both mentors and mentees) who are looking to make a valuable contribution toward their future. 

The program requires a weekly “check & connect” with your mentor/ mentee, general program meetings, student leadership opportunities and other chances to grow in a career field or in higher education. 

Mentoring benefits include enhancing academic success, revealing career paths and opportunities, improving workforce readiness and more.

Learn more about the Y.E.S Initiative online at: www.faytechcc.edu/campus-life/yes-initiative 

Lura S. Tally Center for Leadership Development

Methodist University believes preparing students for effective leadership is one of the most important responsibilities of higher education. Through the Lura S. Tally Center for Leadership Development, Leadership Fellows and other campus programs, MU provides a rich array of opportunities where leadership can be learned and practiced.

There are four key ideas upon which the MU Journey’s Leadership initiative and center are based: 

Leading well requires a foundation of knowledge, ethical values, leadership skills and practical experiences. These steps are the basis for MU’s in-depth leadership training and development. The clearest implementation of these steps can be found in the Leadership Fellows Program, which offers courses for credit, off-campus internships and leadership conferences, mentorship relationships, workshops, seminars, guest speakers and much more.

Through the Methodist University curriculum, the Tally Center offers academic courses that develop traits and skills that employers will be looking for in the 21st century. Students participate in innovative courses, student-led activities, campus and community service and off-campus internships. In addition to leadership theory and techniques, the Center emphasizes ethics, character and self-confidence.

To learn more about the Lura S. Tally Center for Leadership Development you can contact their new Director, Mark Regensburger, M.B.A., Ph.D. at mregensburger@ methodist.edu or find more information online at www.methodist.edu/academics/centers/leader

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