Global Mentorship Initiative is a non-profit organization that provides guidance and business skills to underserved college students through online mentorship.
GMI was created from the Rockefeller Foundation’s Digital Jobs Africa Initiative to help prepare students for their first career job. GMI uses a mentorship model that makes it easy for business professionals to be great mentors without a significant time commitment.
We partner with universities in the US, South Africa, and Sri Lanka using a mentorship program that includes 14 one-hour structured online sessions designed to provide real value to the student as they prepare for their job search.
Mentorship provides support, encouragement, and coaching to graduating students who need it the most.
If you have considered giving back by through mentorship or helping a student from an underserved background to get started, come join us!
A college degree alone doesn’t mean a student is prepared for their first professional job.
In Africa, 45% of university graduates are still jobless one year after graduating.
Many schools do not incorporate curriculum to teach the skills students need to be successful in their first few years of work.
While job opportunities are available in developing countries, sometimes it can take a college graduate several years to obtain a job aligned with their degree. Research has shown that while many graduates have the general skills required for their first job, they often need extra guidance and coaching on how to find a job that is right for them and the necessary professional skills to be a competitive candidate. Additional training is often required for college students who are applying with international companies.
A recent study on college graduates in the United States found that two-thirds of the participants reported struggling to start their career after college.
Underserved college students are sometimes overlooked for sustainable career opportunities. Many students graduate without some of the basic business soft skills needed to successfully search for and obtain a job and take control of their career path. GMI mentorship helps to close this gap and provides students with opportunities to succeed.
GMI matches college students with a business professional using an online mentorship program where they gain the business skills needed to succeed in their career. We partner with universities in South Africa and the United States using a mentorship program that includes 14 one-hour structured online sessions designed to minimize a mentor’s time commitment while providing real value to the student as they prepare for their job search.
GMI mentors are business professionals just like you. You don’t need to be an expert, just follow the Mentor Guide, and add your own personal experience. GMI provides everything you need to guide your student. This includes email templates for communicating with your student every week – reducing your prep time. Join us, you can do this!