SURREY – The World Sikh Organization of Canada announced the launch of the Sikh Mentorship Program (SMP) this week in Surrey.
The SMP is designed to connect Sikh professionals with Sikh students (16+) who are seeking guidance and direction academically or professionally. Alongside mentor-mentee matching, the Sikh Mentorship Program will also include workshops, panels, and networking events.
The program is sponsored in part by the Government of Canada and TakingITGlobal.
The mentor-mentee matching initiative will begin in February 2019, with applications now open for mentees and mentors.
Many mentors are already registered with the SMP and hail from diverse industry backgrounds, ranging from large financial institution executives to local health care providers.
In its initial stages, mentor matching will be limited to British Columbia with an expansion to other Canadian regions in the near future.
Full Program details can be found at worldsikh.org/smp.
WSO President Mukhbir Singh said, “we are very excited by the launch of the Sikh Mentorship Program. This program will connect successful Sikh professionals with students looking for guidance and advice. Creating a program that will establish networks and relationships between the younger generation and successful Sikh professionals is a need that the community has expressed to us for some time and we are thankful for the support provided by the Government of Canada that has now helped make this a reality. We look forward to expanding the Sikh Mentorship Program mentor matching initiative into other provinces across Canada shortly.”
WSO Board Member Gurpreet Kaur added, “As a university student myself, there are many times that I have felt lost and confused, whether that be applying for jobs, applying to graduate programs, or just seeking guidance about potential career paths. Connecting with professionals, who are already established and been through similar journeys has been so helpful, and has greatly helped advance both my personal and professional goals. Providing opportunities to connect with professionals and engage in a mentor-mentee relationship through the Sikh Mentorship Program will be extremely beneficial to not only students, but it will also pay long term dividends for the Sikh community. I’m very excited about this initiative and am looking forward to sharing it with my peers.”
The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) is a non-profit organization with a mandate to promote and protect the interests of Canadian Sikhs as well as to promote and advocate for the protection of human rights for all individuals, irrespective of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, and social and economic status.
