Development through mentorship in the Western Cape Region

Every year, the Directorate for Counselling and Career Development in Unisa’s Western Cape Region interviews, selects and trains a group of final-year and postgraduate student volunteers to participate in the Student Mentor Programme.

This volunteer programme aims to develop students’ graduate skills, including personal, career, and learning skills, which are identified as invaluable workplace skills. The programme involves basic and further training, group and individual supervision sessions, online career management activities, reflecting on their development, and compiling an online career portfolio.

Successful completion of the training programme requires attendance of the basic training and supervision sessions, mentoring and the submission of an e-portfolio.

From the 35 applications received, 22 students were invited to be interviewed. Of these only 16 attended the interview and 14 were selected to participate in the programme.

Mentors train online only as it allows them to service students in outlying areas such as Clanwilliam and Mossel Bay, and even as far afield as China.

Previously, only students who were not employed could be selected to participate in the programme.  Subsequently, however, two members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) were recruited and successfully trained.  The purpose for them joining the programme was to improve their content development and online training capabilities and explore new ways of training and learning.

Four candidates – Dhilshaad Harris, Chante Klue, Commander Lebohang Molefe and Varencia Plaatjies – successfully completed the latest programme. Some of the mentoring topics covered included taking a gap year, goal setting, examination preparation and a growth mindset.

Dhilshaad Harris, Final year BA HSSS COU, Chante Klue, BA Psychology Honours & Varencia Plaatjies, Final year BA HSSS

Interviews and selections for new mentors took place at the end of March and supervision is already underway. Currently the programme has nine active mentors who train purely online and are located across the Western Cape Region.

* By Chantal Adams, Student Counsellor, Counselling and Career Development, Unisa Western Cape Region