BY NANCY TOTH, MA
Professional Development Manager

APEGGA has signed an agreement for the purchase of software to match mentoring pairs. For a nominal annual fee charged to protégés, the software will match them with mentors based on skill profiles posted anonymously.

The matching software is user-friendly and based on three profiling tools – demographic filters, compatibility questions, and a soft-skills self-assessment.
As The PEGG has already reported, a random survey of members has indicated that potentially over 2,500 members have interest in mentoring and over 1,200 members have interest in being mentored.

Given these figures, a matching tool is critical for an efficient implementation.
Apart from its matching capability, the software’s additional benefits include the capacity to enable protégés to set goals and objectives, and monitor their progress.

Research correlates the setting and monitoring of specific goals with the increased success of mentoring programs.

A draft timetable for implementation is in place. The installation options are under review, with installation of the software scheduled for February. Editing of the program’s questions will also be completed in February.

Registration will begin in late March with the self-directed matching process in April. We’re planning full implementation for May or June.

Participants in the mentoring program will find program details, the Collaboro software and the Mentoring Guide on the APEGGA website, which is being updated to coincide with the introduction of the software. Promotion of the program with details for registration will be available within the next month. As coordinator of the program, I’ll be the contact person for questions. Reach me at ntoth@apegga.org, or (780) 426-3990, toll free 1-800-661-7020.


Mentoring Program Draws New York Attention

Some of our recent communications demonstrate the power of the Internet to reach beyond borders. In November, we conducted a teleconference at the request of the Corporation for Supportive Housing in the City of New York. The corporation is a non-profit organization established in 1991 to help communities all over the United States create permanent housing with services to prevent homelessness.

The corporation saw APEGGA’s former mentoring guide on the website and wanted to talk with us about how the mentoring initiative was developed and how it would operate.

Dr. Judith Lentin, P.Geol., a member of the Mentoring Committee, and I represented APEGGA on the call. Corporation representatives from several states and agencies they work with participated. In addition to New York personnel, connections were made with staff from California, Connecticut, Minnesota, Illinois and other states.

Representatives of the corporation had many questions, in their quest to improve their new internal mentoring program and assist partner agencies in creating programs.