“We believe a robust, regional mentorship program like PartnerUp will help accelerate student career outcomes and help Houston area employers identify and cultivate great talent,” said Thad Hill, GHP Chair and President & CEO of Calpine. 

In collaboration with Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) and Mentor Collective, University of St. Thomas-Houston joins five other local universities to participate in a new Houston Region mentoring program dubbed PartnerUp Houston. PartnerUp aims to pair local professionals with area college students to offer mentorship opportunities. The results of these strategic relationships will benefit students’ career outcomes and help local Houston area employers find talented workers.

According to GHP, the initiative is designed to proactively address specific equity and skills gaps in the region, increase the workforce readiness of Houston’s college graduates, and strengthen the talent pipeline of the local economy.

“The University of St. Thomas is excited to enter this regional mentorship program with GHP and Mentor Collective,” Arthur Ortiz, Chief Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement Officer, said.  “UST families and students trust us to provide opportunities that benefit their formation and educational experience. This initiative is one of many UST mentorship programs to support student success. Regional colleges and universities like St. Thomas have a responsibility to develop the future talent of the Greater Houston economic region.”

Who is Mentor Collective?

Mentor Collective is a national mentorship organization that helps implement a large-scale peer and alumni mentorship project. Mentor Collective will provide the technology needed to scale high-impact practices that drive student and economic success. Since 2016, Mentor Collective has facilitated more than 250,000 successful mentorship matches and has proven to impact student retention, career-decision self-efficacy, and sense of belonging.

According to Jackson Boyar, Co-Founder and CEO of Mentor Collective, “Proactively bridging these equity and skills gaps requires local employers and post-secondary institutions to collaborate on initiatives that allow a student to acquire professional experiences and skills. Institutions enrolling and graduating a diverse class with strong employment outcomes are those implementing holistic student support, including career mentorship.”

Sign Up Today

Ahead of the launch, GHP had 10 companies committed to providing professional mentors to the program. Companies include Calpine, Boston Consulting Group and HP.

In addition to UST, Rice University, University of Houston, Houston Christian University, and Sam Houston State will participate in the program.  

Companies and individuals can continue to sign on for mentorship through January 20 for the spring semester. Area companies interested in joining PartnerUp to provide professional mentors and individuals interested in becoming career mentors are encouraged to visit this page to learn more.