SME Membership facilitates the SME Bright Minds Student Mentorship Program in collaboration with the SME Education Foundation, which provides a structured environment that helps select Foundation scholarship recipients navigate college and student life, gain different perspectives on industry-related topics, expand their network, and ultimately launch a manufacturing career.
The Mentoring Program runs annually from September through May.
Mentees and Mentors will connect every other month, beginning in October and ending in May, for five connection points (Oct., Dec., Feb., April, and May). Connection points will take place via phone or virtual meetings (i.e., Zoom, Teams.)
During the alternating months (Nov., Jan., March, June), SME will connect with both Mentees and Mentors to review and track progress, discuss benefits related to SME membership and evaluate the Mentee-Mentor relationship.
SME will assign Mentors to a Mentee and evaluate the relationship's success annually at the end of the program year. Pairing is Mentee-driven and allows students to search online among pre-selected and qualified SME Mentors using specified criteria to find individuals whose experience and expertise match the areas where they desire guidance. Mentees will identify their top three Mentor choices, and SME facilitates the final pairing assignments.
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How to Apply to Become an SME Mentor
SME is now accepting applications for its newly launched SME Bright Minds Student Mentorship Program.
Apply to be an SME Mentor here. Components of the mentor application include a collection of your biography, headshot, the opportunity to share your manufacturing interests, job history, community involvement and personal hobbies.
Apply to be an SME Mentor
Interested individuals must fully complete the SME Mentor application for consideration.
Deadline: Mentor applications must be submitted by midnight PT on July 1, 2024. If selected, Mentors will be notified by September 3, 2024 of their Mentee matches. Please note, there are a finite number of SME Member Mentor positions.
Mentor Match Requirements
- A Mentor must be an active SME member with at least one year of SME member engagement. SME engagement examples include, but is not limited to, the following: serving as a SMEEF Board member, SMEEF scholarship reviewer, serving on the SME Member Council, SME Member Committee, Advisory Committee, Working Group, Task Group or Technical Community, featured speaker for an SME webinar or event, contributor of an SME Media article, blog post.
- Mentors must have five or more years of manufacturing industry experience and a specific manufacturing-related skill set or expertise to impart and share real-world perspective and advice on career pathways.
- Mentors must commit to meeting with mentees and program facilitators as outlined in the program description.
- Mentors must clear a background check. SME has selected a third party vendor, Sterling Check, to conduct background checks for purposes of the SME Bright Minds Student Mentorship Program. Background checks comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Volunteers, such as Mentors, are treated as applicants under the FCRA.
How to Apply to Become an SME Mentee
Recipients of the E. Wayne Kay and Irving Pressley McPhail scholarships are automatically inducted into the SME Education Foundation Bright Minds Community of Scholars. As Bright Minds Scholars, you are offered various benefits and engagement opportunities with SME and the SME Education Foundation during your academic journey.
One of these opportunities include the SME Bright Minds Student Mentorship Program!
In addition to the mentorship program, Bright Minds Scholars receive access to the following resources:
- Complimentary SME membership which offers access to career services, including career coaching, virtual job fairs, resume review, mock interviews, and other manufacturing career-endorsing opportunities.
- Complimentary access to courses from Tooling U-SME, SME’s workforce development division. Students will have access to courses that include design and engineering, electrical, machining, welding, Smart Manufacturing, composites processing, stamping, forming, fabricating, and many more.
Apply to be an SME Mentee
Interested Bright Mind Scholars must fully complete the SME Mentee application.
Returning SME Mentees must reapply.
Deadline: Mentee applications must be submitted by midnight PT on July 1, 2024. Mentees will be notified by September 3, 2024 of their Mentor matches.
