JA Company Program Mentor (Hamilton, ON)

Empower the next generation of business leaders as a JA Company Program Mentor! Work with a group of highly engaged youth as they start and run their very own business.

About JA

Through the delivery of hands-on learning in entrepreneurship, financial health and work readiness, JA empowers young people to grow their entrepreneurial ideas, hone their work skills, manage their earnings, and secure better lives for themselves and their communities. JA is a leader in preparing young people for success in an ever-changing global economy.

Your Role

Partnered with a team of other volunteers, a JA Company Program Volunteer Mentor becomes a business advisor, role model, and facilitator for a group of 10-15 high school students. Mentors help foster participants’ entrepreneurial spirit and support students through an 18-week entrepreneurial journey in which they create, manage, and liquidate a real start-up business. Resources, training, and support for all volunteers are provided by JA.

Qualifications

Must be available for a volunteer interview and complete all screening requirements, including a Police Records Check with Vulnerable Sector Search
Confident presenting to and working with young people
Relevant work and/or educational experience (i.e., Business, Finance, etc.)
Strong communication skills that are effective with youth
Must be 18 years or older to volunteer
Volunteers do not need a particular background of area of expertise to be an effective Company Program Mentor. Most important is an ability to foster good teamwork and a desire to support youth in an impactful way. 

Training & Support

Prior to the program start, Company Program Volunteers receive the following supports:

JA Company Program orientation package
2 hour group training session facilitated online
Access to program resources
JA will provide all presentation content and resources needed to facilitate the program and ongoing support throughout the experience.
Time Commitment

This is an after-school program which takes place in the evening.

Volunteers should be able to commit approximately 2-3 hours of their time per week for this volunteer opportunity. Volunteers can choose to participate in-person or virtually. 

Next Steps

If you are interested in supporting JA as a volunteer, please register through our website at https://jaswo.org/get-involved/volunteers/ or email zburness@jaswo.org for more information.