App Connects Mentors and Mentees Online
As job seekers in Canada turn to digital tools to manage the challenges of a career transition, a new app called “Menteer” aims to ease the process of matching job seekers with an appropriate mentor.
Born from Career Skills Incubator, the project was funded through the .CA Community Investment Program, which helps drive solutions to social and economic issues in Canada.
“Menteer started simply enough: we wanted to save volunteer time and allow our program to grow by automating the mentor matching process,” explains 26-year old founder Victoria Alleyne. “It grew to be much bigger; by making it open source, we are creating a tool that can be used at low to no cost for other organizations across the country hoping to start or scale mentorship programs.”
Inspired by the user-experiences of popular dating apps, Menteer connects mentors and mentees using an algorithm that includes communications style, industry expertise, goals and other factors.
This is one of 29 projects funded through the first round of the .CA Community Investment Program, all of which address areas of pressing concern to Canada’s Internet community.
Career Skills Incubator started in 2012 by University of Waterloo alumni Victoria Alleyne, who says she became frustrated seeing talented friends unable to find fulfilling work after graduation.