Mentoring Program For Temps and Early Career Employees
Supporting CBC Temps and Early Career Employees to Achieve their Career Goals
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MEET THE CREATORS
MEET THE CREATORS
Jennifer Chen and Catherine Rolfsen started the Mentoring Program for Temps and Early Career Employees in 2021. The program is now offered annually to employees in BC, the North, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Southwest & Northern Ontario, Ottawa and the Parliamentary Bureau, Calgary and Atlantic Provinces, Network Audio, and NewsNet. We hope to keep expanding the program to other locations over time.
How does it work?
How does it work?
Mentees are selected based on their demonstrated commitment to the CBC and priority is given to equity-deserving groups.
Mentors are full-time staff with a minimum of seven years experience.
matched based on the goals set by the mentees
six month program
monthly meet-ups
Feedback speaks to the success of the program
Feedback speaks to the success of the program
Many mentees said they felt more heard, more confident, and more connected
Mentors gain a new perspective and satisfaction in being able to “pay it forward”.
Mentors have helped get their mentees stretch assignments to develop skills in new areas, and they’ve supported mentees as they navigate through difficult work situations.
Several of the mentees secured full-time jobs during or shortly after the program.
We continue to build on our success
We continue to build on our success
coordinators take careful notes to build the program from each cohort
participants give detailed feedback
we have created a template for other mentorship programs to build on
other regions and departments are building programs similar to ours, while adapting to their needs. For example, there are mentoring programs offered by the ERGS like Visible Women, Women in Tech and OutCBC.
Mentoring Program Coordinators
Mentoring Program Coordinators
Coordinators list
Catherine Rolfsen, BC
Joanne Stassen, CBC North
Elise Stolte, CBC Calgary
Lara Schroeder, MB
Janani Whitfield, SK
Jennifer Chen, Ontario smaller markets, Parl. bureau and CBC Ottawa
Jeffery Tam, News Network
Dawna Dingwall, Network Audio
Hannah Rudderham, NB
To Be Confirmed, NS
Isabelle Gallant, PEI
Caroline Hillier, Newfoundland & Labrador
NOTE: Applications for the 2027 Mentoring Program open in November 2026. Keep an eye out for the email with the announcement or check back here.
James Chaarani
James Chaarani
mentee, 2022
mentee, 2022
The mentorship program was incredible and I would highly recommend it to anybody new to the CBC. It allowed me to ask those stupid questions I was too afraid to ask in my day to day work life, which in turn made me better at my job. Not asking those stupid questions were holding me back in a lot of ways. It also allowed me to set goals for myself in areas that I didn't have much experience in and I got to work on them with an expert who has been at the CBC for years. My skill sets would not be where they are right now if it wasn't for this program. It was really an amazing experience, so thank you :))
Tara Carman,
Tara Carman,
mentor, 2021
mentor, 2021
Being part of the mentorship program was meaningful because other journalists have been so generous in sharing their time and expertise with me in the past, and that contributed a lot to the skillset and the career I have now. It's been so incredibly fulfilling to be given an opportunity to pay that forward. The person I mentored has become a good friend and I've been fortunate to work with her now on a number of data-driven investigative projects at CBC.
Read more about the experience of the first cohort of Mentors and Mentees ➡️here.
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