June 15, Bangalore: As AI shifts traditional career paths and professionals increasingly look for guidance, mentoring is emerging as a critical lever of career growth. LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, has extended its partnership with Mentor Together, a non-profit organisation helping young people access career guidance. Backed by a INR ~1.5 crore ($160,000) grant from LinkedIn, the partnership will support 25,000 students across Karnataka, through structured mentoring programmes designed to enhance employability and AI-readiness.
The initiative extends the ongoing 7-year partnership between the two organisations, and their sustained collaboration with the Government of Karnataka’s Department of Collegiate and Technical Education.
Over the past year, the programme reached over 23,000 students across nine districts, supported 573 students in one-on-one mentoring through the Mentor To Go app, and facilitated more than 8,000 hours of mentoring conversations. As a result, 86% of mentees completed the programme with greater confidence in their career direction.
The next phase of the partnership arrives at a pivotal moment for India’s young workforce. As AI continues to reshape the nature of entry-level roles, the question at the heart of this programme is a practical one: what does preparing students for work actually mean today? The answer is a progressive, three-level journey, where AI is not a subject to master in isolation, but a tool to understand in the context of real career decision-making:
- Level 1 – Career & AI Awareness: With 25,000 students across the districts of the state, normalising career conversations and introducing AI literacy through group mentoring sessions.
- Level 2 – Foundational Career Mentoring: 8,000 students in short-cycle, time-bound mentoring conversations with professionals on the Mentor To Go app, covering career exploration and responsible AI use for learning and planning.
- Level 3 – Placement-Focused Mentoring: 700 final-year students in high-touch mentoring combining mentor guidance, staff support, and AI-enabled job-search tools.
Together, the three levels are designed to meet students where they are, whether they are just beginning to think about careers or actively preparing to enter the workforce, and move them forward with the right combination of human guidance and AI-enabled support.
Leave a Reply