Highlights
All the young people who registered with Academos September 1 2008–May 15, 2009 were asked to respond to the survey, as were e-mentors and active group leaders. In all, 459 secondary school students, 181 group leaders, and 624 e-mentors replied. The survey was available on surveymonkey.com. Survey results were processed anonymously.
The information collected confirmed that most 2008–2009 participants were Secondary III students (72%) and that Academos is heavily used in class (92%), especially in the Personal Orientation Project course (68%). Some 130 new schools used Academos, bringing the level of registrations from 7,000 young people last year to 14,000 this year. This fact meant, however, that students were less well prepared in that many seemed to be participating in order to complete assignments.
Conversations between e-mentors and students mainly dealt with topics related to career choices and to the selection of training. E-mentors tell of their experience in the working environment and give all sorts of information and advice that helps young people to decide if they are suited to the occupation. An interesting fact this year: we noted that there were more mentors who made the connection between what is learned in school and the occupation being considered by the student, the percentage increasing from 46% last year to 51% this year. According to most young people, contact with an e-mentor influences their career choice (80% of students) and the choice of their post-secondary education or training (76% of students).
For the first time this year, we asked young people to comment on their e-mentoring experience. The purpose was to better understand student satisfaction and to better define what a mentor can really do for a young person. We found that for most young people the e-mentoring experience was instructive, reassuring, inspiring, and motivating. Conversely, fewer than 7% of the young people found their participation boring, useless, or frustrating.
Overall, the young people encountered few difficulties while participating in Academos. They sometimes had difficulties making contact with the e-mentor (42%) and in making their needs statement (37%). Another difficulty encountered was that the response time of many mentors exceeded the 7-day deadline (55%).
Academos is usually the first concrete experience students have (especially in Secondary III) of making contact independently with the work environment. They must introduce themselves and explain their needs and their interest in the occupation to someone they don’t know. While the first step takes place in the relative anonymity of the Internet and is structured in the classroom, for many students it still represents stepping outside their comfort zone. Hence, the importance of clearly explaining what mentoring is, who mentors are, and what role mentors play.
With regard to mentors, again this year the survey confirms that Academos is a form of volunteer work that takes little of their time, because 93% of respondents spend less than 30 minutes a week mentoring. They also benefit from it because a great majority of them feel that their participation is enriching, making them feel useful to young people and to their occupation. With regard to difficulties encountered by mentors in their participation, the three difficulties most experienced were of a relational nature: maintaining the relationship for several message exchanges (66%), grasping the needs of the young person (53%), and addressing his or her fears and concerns (46%). Conversely, mentors had great facility in conveying their thoughts (80%) and in relating their experiences (91%).
In summary, overall the participants are satisfied with their participation in Academos. This survey made it possible to identify some points to improve. It is essential that those guiding the students clearly understand what Academos is so as to prevent young people from using it merely to ask for information for a school assignment. We must also conduct close follow-up to ensure that mentors answer within the 7-day deadline. Another point we are working on is to refine the mechanisms for matching mentors with students.
Thanks to all survey participants!
