Access to Mentors
In 2019, Mentor Canada launched the first pan-Canadian study on youth mentoring: The State of Mentoring Research Initiative.
For the first time, we have detailed information about young people’s mentoring experiences. In early 2020, 2,838 young adults in Canada participated in the National Youth Mentoring Survey and reported on their mentoring experiences during their childhood and adolescence (6 to 18 years old).
Three Key Findings
55.8%
of young people mentored
55.8% of young people across Canada were mentored when they were growing up.
31.5%
took part in formal mentoring programs
Among mentored youth, 31.5% took part in formal mentoring programs. This is equivalent to approximately 16% of all youth who participated in the survey.
54.3%
of young adults wished they'd had a mentor
Over 1 in 2 young adults reported that they could think of a time when they did not have a mentor but wished they had had one.
The two interactive dashboards allow you to explore detailed data pertaining to 3 major research questions.
Who has access to mentors?
The data shown corresponds to the percentage of respondents (aged 18-30) who could recall having access to at least one person they would consider a mentor at some point between the ages of 6 to 18. This could include natural or informal mentors as well as formal mentors.
Who has access to formal mentors?
The data shown corresponds to the proportion of respondents who had access to a formal mentor among those who had access to a mentor: the respondents who answered yes to question 1, were then asked if any of their mentors was a formal mentor.
Caution! The percentage shown here does not reflect the percentage across the entire survey sample.
Example: 1490 respondents, or 55.8%, had access to a mentor (Question 1) at the national level. Of them 1,444 provided an answer to question 2: 455 out of 1,444 or 31.5% said they had a formal mentor. This is equivalent to approximately 16% of all survey respondents (2,838) who had access to a formal mentor.
Who reports unmet needs with regard to access to mentors?
The data shown corresponds to the percentage of all respondents who can recall at least one time when they wished they had a mentor but did not have one. This includes both respondents who were never mentored as well as those who reported having had access to at least one mentor.
Dashboard 1: Access by Location
You can refine your exploration of the data by looking at 3 of the respondents’ demographic characteristics.
Location
When data is insufficient to show results at the provincial level, we have shown them at the regional level.
Gender identity
Age
The data shown corresponds to the age of the respondents and allows you to explore differences between the younger (18-24) and older (25-30) respondents’ experiences during their childhood and adolescence. It does not provide any information about whether or not the respondents were mentored after they entered adulthood.
| Category | Access to Mentors | Access to Formal Mentors (among mentored youth) | Unmet Needs: Access to Mentors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Sample: All genders: All ages | 55.8% | 31.5% | 54.3% |
| Total Sample: All genders: 18 to 24 | 58.7% | 31.7% | 54.1% |
| Total Sample: All genders: 25 to 30 | 53.3% | 31.3% | 54.5% |
| Total Sample: Woman: All ages | 56.1% | 24.3% | 56.6% |
| Total Sample: Woman: 18 to 24 | 58.3% | 27.7% | 57.7% |
| Total Sample: Woman: 25 to 30 | 54.2% | 21.3% | 55.7% |
| Total Sample: Man: All ages | 55.6% | 38.9% | 51.3% |
| Total Sample: Man: 18 to 24 | 58.9% | 36.3% | 50.1% |
| Total Sample: Man: 25 to 30 | 52.8% | 41.4% | 52.4% |
| Total Sample: Non-binary: All ages | 54.6% | 37.5% | 63.4% |
| Total Sample: Non-binary: 18 to 24 | 61.2% | 28.6% | 58.3% |
| Total Sample: Non-binary: 25 to 30 | 42.9% | 58.3% | 73.9% |
| Alberta: All genders: All ages | 58.2% | 34.1% | 54.3% |
| Alberta: All genders: 18 to 24 | 59.9% | 36.3% | 59.9% |
| Alberta: All genders: 25 to 30 | 56.7% | 31.9% | 49.4% |
| Alberta: Woman: All ages | 56.3% | 22.5% | 56.8% |
| Alberta: Woman: 18 to 24 | 54.9% | 25.6% | 65.2% |
| Alberta: Woman: 25 to 30 | 57.3% | 20.0% | 50.0% |
| Alberta: Man: All ages | 61.6% | 44.1% | 48.6% |
| Alberta: Man: 18 to 24 | 66.7% | 45.1% | 51.4% |
| Alberta: Man: 25 to 30 | 56.4% | 42.9% | 45.7% |
| Alberta: Non-binary: All ages | 33.3% | 66.7% | 100.0% |
| Alberta: Non-binary: 18 to 24 | 20.0% | N/A | 100.0% |
| Alberta: Non-binary: 25 to 30 | 50.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| British Columbia: All genders: All ages | 52.7% | 35.3% | 52.0% |
| British Columbia: All genders: 18 to 24 | 49.3% | 33.8% | 47.0% |
| British Columbia: All genders: 25 to 30 | 55.6% | 36.4% | 56.0% |
| British Columbia: Woman: All ages | 51.3% | 21.0% | 58.5% |
| British Columbia: Woman: 18 to 24 | 50.7% | 23.7% | 56.5% |
| British Columbia: Woman: 25 to 30 | 51.8% | 18.6% | 60.0% |
| British Columbia: Man: All ages | 55.0% | 49.4% | 45.2% |
| British Columbia: Man: 18 to 24 | 48.6% | 45.5% | 38.1% |
| British Columbia: Man: 25 to 30 | 60.0% | 51.9% | 50.6% |
| British Columbia: Non-binary: All ages | 41.7% | 20.0% | 60.0% |
| British Columbia: Non-binary: 18 to 24 | 42.9% | 33.3% | 42.9% |
| British Columbia: Non-binary: 25 to 30 | 40.0% | N/A | 100.0% |
| Ontario: All genders: All ages | 57.2% | 28.7% | 58.2% |
| Ontario: All genders: 18 to 24 | 61.9% | 26.9% | 56.9% |
| Ontario: All genders: 25 to 30 | 53.9% | 30.2% | 59.2% |
| Ontario: Woman: All ages | 59.2% | 23.4% | 61.9% |
| Ontario: Woman: 18 to 24 | 63.3% | 25.8% | 62.2% |
| Ontario: Woman: 25 to 30 | 56.5% | 21.7% | 61.8% |
| Ontario: Man: All ages | 55.7% | 34.9% | 54.9% |
| Ontario: Man: 18 to 24 | 60.6% | 29.8% | 52.8% |
| Ontario: Man: 25 to 30 | 51.9% | 39.3% | 56.6% |
| Ontario: Non-binary: All ages | 52.4% | 9.1% | 50.0% |
| Ontario: Non-binary: 18 to 24 | 64.3% | N/A | 50.0% |
| Ontario: Non-binary: 25 to 30 | 28.6% | 50.0% | 50.0% |
| Quebec: All genders: All ages | 52.9% | 30.0% | 47.7% |
| Quebec: All genders: 18 to 24 | 55.4% | 30.3% | 48.5% |
| Quebec: All genders: 25 to 30 | 50.5% | 29.8% | 46.9% |
| Quebec: Woman: All ages | 50.9% | 26.5% | 48.7% |
| Quebec: Woman: 18 to 24 | 53.2% | 29.7% | 51.6% |
| Quebec: Woman: 25 to 30 | 48.7% | 23.3% | 45.9% |
| Quebec: Man: All ages | 54.0% | 31.8% | 45.2% |
| Quebec: Man: 18 to 24 | 55.5% | 29.0% | 43.8% |
| Quebec: Man: 25 to 30 | 52.5% | 34.9% | 46.6% |
| Quebec: Non-binary: All ages | 68.2% | 50.0% | 65.0% |
| Quebec: Non-binary: 18 to 24 | 76.9% | 44.4% | 61.5% |
| Quebec: Non-binary: 25 to 30 | 55.6% | 60.0% | 71.4% |
| Saskatchewan: All genders: All ages | 54.9% | 42.9% | 48.6% |
| Saskatchewan: All genders: 18 to 24 | 65.7% | 50.0% | 56.7% |
| Saskatchewan: All genders: 25 to 30 | 46.8% | 36.4% | 42.9% |
| Manitoba: All genders: All ages | 60.2% | 24.1% | 51.8% |
| Manitoba: All genders: 18 to 24 | 62.2% | 32.1% | 58.1% |
| Manitoba: All genders: 25 to 30 | 58.3% | 15.4% | 45.0% |
| Atlantic Canada: All genders: All ages | 54.8% | 36.5% | 62.0% |
| Atlantic Canada: All genders: 18 to 24 | 63.4% | 33.3% | 58.9% |
| Atlantic Canada: All genders: 25 to 30 | 46.4% | 40.5% | 64.9% |
Dashboard 2: Access by Demographic Characteristics
You can explore the data based on respondents’ ethnic or racial identity, gender and sexual identity, disability status, immigrant status, and community type.
| Category | Access to any mentor | Access to a formal mentor among mentored youth | Unmet needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| All respondents: All respondents | 55.8% | 31.5% | 54.3% |
| Ethnic/racial identity: Black | 58.7% | 49.5% | 57.8% |
| Ethnic/racial identity: Indigenous | 65.5% | 49.7% | 61.4% |
| Ethnic/racial identity: Non-Indigenous | 54.5% | 27.6% | 53.6% |
| Ethnic/racial identity: Racialized | 57.2% | 39.5% | 56.1% |
| Ethnic/racial identity: White | 55.4% | 26.6% | 53.5% |
| Gender and sexual identity: Men | 55.6% | 38.9% | 51.3% |
| Gender and sexual identity: Women | 56.1% | 24.3% | 56.6% |
| Gender and sexual identity: Non-binary/gender diverse | 54.6% | 37.5% | 63.4% |
| Gender and sexual identity: Transgender | 67.5% | 65.8% | 74.3% |
| Gender and sexual identity: Not transgender/cisgender | 55.3% | 29.5% | 53.4% |
| Gender and sexual identity: Sexual minority | 55.3% | 31.8% | 69.0% |
| Gender and sexual identity: Heterosexual | 56.1% | 30.9% | 51.3% |
| Disability status: Functional disability | 62.2% | 34.8% | 69.4% |
| Disability status: Diagnosed disability | 60.4% | 34.7% | 71.6% |
| Disability status: No disability | 51.5% | 28.4% | 40.8% |
| Immigrant status: Born in Canada | 56.1% | 31.2% | 54.9% |
| Immigrant status: Immigrant | 54.6% | 31.9% | 51.5% |
| Community type: Urban | 56.1% | 32.0% | 54.6% |
| Community type: Rural and remote | 53.4% | 27.3% | 52.8% |
| Language: Francophone | 49.4% | 30.3% | 45.6% |
Learn more about the findings from the National Youth Mentoring Survey
Want to learn more about adults who step up to mentor young people?
Explore the Adults who Mentor Data Dashboard
Developed in collaboration with:
