Beyond CVs and Certificates: What Every Mentorship Programme Must Teach Young People

Last weekend, my husband Ronald and I, as The Couple Binders , had the honour of once again serving as guest speakers at the Young Professional Mentorship Program (YPMP) graduation, hosted by the Igoye Young Professional Mentorship Institute (IYPMI).

As 22 brilliant mentees stepped forward to celebrate months of learning, leadership exposure, and personal growth, it was clear that this ceremony was more than a milestone. It was a launchpad – into careers, purpose, adulthood, and the decisions that shape the future.

And one of the most defining of those decisions is relationships.

I first met the programme’s founder, Ms. Agnes Igoye, during our work on migration. When she shared her heart for YPMP, a space designed to help young professionals bridge the gap between education and employment through mentorship, practical skills, and values, I was genuinely inspired.

At some point, I asked her a question I often ask when I meet people mentoring the young:

“Do you talk to them about relationships?”

Because from our work with couples, we have seen repeatedly that career success and relationship choices are deeply connected. The person you choose to walk with can either support your purpose or suffocate it.

Agnes immediately understood the weight of that conversation. She opened the door for us to serve, and three years later we are still walking this journey with YPMP, a privilege we do not take for granted.

The Igoye Young Professional Mentorship Institute exists to shape well-rounded, purpose-driven young leaders, not just technically skilled graduates.

But here is the truth many mentorship programmes often miss:

Young people cannot fully thrive in leadership or career if they are silently struggling in their personal relationships.

In our sessions with YPMP, we have explored topics such as:

• Navigating love and relationships as a young professional

• How to choose wisely a life partner

• How personal relationships affect career progress

• How two partners can steer each other toward purpose

• Recognising red flags and cultivating emotional intelligence

These sessions have been some of the most interactive and transformative. Young people want to talk about their hearts, their fears, their choices, and the pressure they carry.

Mentorship without relationship wisdom is incomplete.

Our journey with YPMP has been deeply fulfilling. Over time, we have seen mentees:

• Ask better questions before committing to relationships

• Walk away from unhealthy situations

• Pursue alignment rather than pressure

• Enter marriage more informed, confident, and prepared

• Build foundations that support  rather than derail  their dreams.

This is the kind of transformation that is not captured in certificates, but it shapes destinies.

Some of the young people we engaged in early cohorts are now married, and when they tell us:

“Your session prepared us for this step,”
or
“We used your questions and realised we were not aligned,”

…it reaffirms why mentorship spaces must go beyond academic and professional development.

We cannot speak about YPMP without honouring its founder, Ms. Agnes Igoye, a woman with an extraordinary heart for empowering young people.

From its beginnings during COVID-19 to its evolution into a structured mentorship institute, she has:

• Created safe spaces for learning and leadership

• Connected young people to opportunities

• Built an ecosystem of mentors, trainers, and partners

• Modelled servant leadership and community impact

• Given every mentee a chance to rethink, refocus, and succeed.

Watching her pour into these young people with such passion is a reminder that mentorship is ministry. It is nation-building.

We are privileged to be part of her vision.

If you mentor young people: in professional, religious, or community settings, we have a message for you:  Do not leave out relationship conversations.

Your mentees are making decisions that will shape their: Emotional wellness, Mental stability, Financial future, Career opportunities, Leadership potential and Lifetime happiness.

Equip them to choose partners who honour their purpose, respect their journey, and align with their destiny. This is part of leadership formation. This is part of preparing them for life.

Under The Couple Binders, Ronald and I offer:

• Sessions for young professionals on choosing wisely, dating with purpose, and navigating relationships

• Workshops for mentorship cohorts, churches, corporate graduate programmes, and youth groups

• Premarital coaching for couples preparing for marriage

• Marriage enrichment sessions for couples seeking to thrive

We tailor our content to the age group, context, and specific needs of the audience.

If you organise mentorship programmes and want to strengthen this crucial pillar, we would be honoured to collaborate.

To the YPMP 2025 graduates  and the previous cohorts, congratulations.

May your careers soar, your leadership deepen, and your relationships be wise, healthy, and aligned with your purpose.

To Ms. Agnes Igoye and IYPMI,  thank you for trusting us, year after year, with your mentees.

And to every mentor, teacher, pastor, HR manager, organisation, or parent working with young people:

Go beyond CVs and certificates.
Prepare them for life.
Prepare them for purpose.
Prepare them for relationships.

That is how we will build a generation that truly thrives.