New Career Mentorship Resource for Youth with Disabilities

CALGARY, ALBERTA (September 8, 2026) – Mentor Canada launches a free online resource, in partnership with MentorAbility Canada, a Canadian Association for Supported Employment (CASE) initiative, to help youth experiencing disability navigate career development through mentorship. Building a Supportive Mentoring Network: A Guide for Mentees is an evidence-backed framework that guides users through what mentorship is, how to identify the right mentor and how to build a lasting mentorship network.

The resource is designed specifically for youth with disabilities. It complements the companion employer training, Building Inclusive Career Mentoring Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities, and the mentor training, Pathways to Inclusion: Empowering Youth with Disabilities through Career Mentoring. Together, they offer a complete framework for meaningful mentorship. Resources like these play a vital role in ensuring young people with disabilities have equitable access to the career support they deserve.

“Our research demonstrates the critical role mentorship plays in strengthening personal growth, essential skills development, and workforce engagement for youth in Canada,” says Tracy Luca-Huger, Executive Director of Mentor Canada. “This resource reflects our commitment to ensuring youth with disabilities have greater access to those opportunities by equipping them with the practical tools and guidance to find supportive mentoring relationships, build social capital, and the readiness to step into careers with confidence.”

“We are proud to partner with Mentor Canada on a resource that meets a very real and growing need,” says Mary Beshai, Director of MentorAbility Canada, CASE. “By combining Mentor Canada’s expertise in mentorship with CASE’s national network, we’re creating pathways for youth to feel confident about mentorship to help them boost those connections that can be so important to employment opportunities.”

“Young Canadians are the future of our country. When they have the opportunity to pursue their goals and reach their full potential, Canada is stronger for it. By connecting youth with mentors who can offer guidance, encouragement and support, we are helping open doors to meaningful careers. Through partnerships with organizations like Mentor Canada and the Canadian Association for Supported Employment’s MentorAbility Canada initiative, the Government of Canada is ensuring that young people with disabilities have the tools, networks, and opportunities they need to succeed.” said the
Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario.

Building a Supportive Mentoring Network: A Guide for Mentees is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities. The guide is informed by the research report, Unlocking Doors: Mentoring to Strengthen Skills and Support Career Pathways – Spotlight on Youth with Disabilities, developed in partnership with the Social Research Demonstration Corporation (SRDC), with funding from the Government of Canada. 

Building a Supportive Mentoring Network: A Guide for Mentees is available now at mentorcanada.ca/en/building-supportive-mentoringnetwork-guide-mentees. Youth with disabilities and advocates are encouraged to explore the resource and share it within their networks.