Introducing the topic and spotlight speaker, Helio Flores
SPOTLIGHT:
Helio Flores, Data Analyst – Alunimat Network Group
Mentoring improves the employability of University Graduates.
Helio described the datasets and definitions for the methodology for the study. This data is available as a separate document. Maria commented on how inspiring this was that the positive data was showing with an open platform. Advised to prepare mentors for the power that they will have as mentors.
Johana appreciated the direct impact on mentoring and the power it has and how much more can be done if the mentor programme was opened up to more people. Secondly, if this is taken back to basics it will show the value in volunteering and giving back to the university and the power of the alumni network of an institution.
Q&A
How did this data meet with your expectations and how does it relate to your own experiences?
Q – Really exciting data. How was employment monitored?
A – The ACB platform monitors employment through LinkedIn data sync.
Q – Is the facility in place for institutions to track their own employment data?
A – Aluminati is currently working to enrich the data. More advanced data points will be available in the future.
Q – Interested in showing the data based on student backgrounds and employability.
A – Students from scholarships really benefit from mentoring as the mentors feel more invested in the process.
Q – Was a difference seen between new and more established programmes. How quickly can these results be seen?
A – Results usually take 6 months to a year for results to be seen and depends a lot on the promotion from the institution
A – Success can be clear in the first year but does depend on how well the programme is launched.
Q – Was data taken from the open-access platform?
A – Data was taken from the primary mentoring module
A – These results are made even more powerful as the mentoring programme is the low input model.
Q – How can data analysis be replicated by institutions?
A – Data is available to institutions from their own platforms and how to get the most out of this will be covered in more depth at another round table.
Dan – Summarised how the data might be leveraged. Perhaps presenting a more dynamic perspective. Data can be leveraged internally to engage more with students. Using words such as accelerator / Incubator.
Q – Students and Alumni use the platform to make connections but go elsewhere to continue their conversations such as email. Any advice on getting users to continue using the platform instead of external mediums.
A – Use check-ins in the platform to draw the conversations back to the platform. Add resources to encourage visits back to the platform too.
A – Some institutions used restrictions on sharing external contact details such as mobile numbers but saw push back from Alumni so there needs to be a balance between institution needs and encouraging best mentoring practices.
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