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Discover how KeolisAmey Docklands is developing an integrated mentorship program that blends human interaction with AI to enhance onboarding.
Partners
Posted
DEC. 3, 2025
Modern transport networks require confident, capable and well-supported frontline teams. Peer mentoring has long been a cornerstone of onboarding and professional development, yet traditional models can be limited by time, scale and the availability of experienced colleagues. Digital learning solutions offer efficiency but cannot recreate the relational, supportive environment that new employees value.
At KeolisAmey Docklands (KAD), this challenge led to the creation of Light the Way, a mentoring program designed to enhance the human elements of peer-to-peer learning. The program pairs new Passenger Service Agents (PSAs) with experienced colleagues who volunteer their own time to support learning, guidance and career development.
To strengthen and scale these mentoring efforts, KAD is developing an AI training platform that introduces intelligent tools into the program in stages. This approach ensures the core human relationship remains central, while additional AI tools provide consistency in corporate training, unlocking accessible guidance and digital learning innovation that enhance everyday professional development.
Light the Way is first and foremost a peer mentoring program. Around it, KAD has built an expanding suite of digital tools – some already deployed and others in active development – that together form the company’s emerging AI training platform.
• PeerMatch Pro: A matching system that creates high-accuracy mentor–mentee pairings based on communication style, learning preferences, shift compatibility and personal strengths.
• Mentor Compass: An on-demand guidance tool that helps mentors structure conversations, prepare for sessions and navigate sensitive topics.
• Mentee Simulator: A digital practice environment that lets mentors rehearse complex mentoring scenarios and build confidence before real interactions.
• The PSA Online Mentoring Hub: A centralized space within Microsoft Teams that enables session tracking, resource access, communication, recognition and program coordination.
• AI Training Buddy: Currently in development, this AI coaching tool will act as an always-available companion to help interpret procedures, provide operational context, support reflective learning and simulate routine challenges.
• AI Onboarding Assistant: A planned tool designed to guide new hires through learning pathways, deliver essential information and offer real-time support during their first weeks.
• Integration with the Cornerstone AI-powered learning-management system: This future enhancement will standardize onboarding, connect AI tools across departments and provide managers with clearer visibility of progress.
Through these current and future capabilities, KAD is ensuring transparency while highlighting a long-term commitment to AI-powered learning as a natural part of employee development.
Early results show that combining peer mentoring with AI components strengthens both the onboarding experience and the mentoring relationship itself. New PSAs benefit from consistent guidance and structured support that help build confidence quickly. Many say the program reduces the pressure of navigating early challenges alone, replacing uncertainty with steady, reliable advice from experienced colleagues.
The lived experience of mentors and mentees further illustrates the program’s impact. Mentor Opeoluwa Adekoya reflects on the value of supporting a new colleague:
“Supporting my colleague and watching him settle into the role has been fulfilling. We revisited core expectations that can be overlooked: for example, whether company phones can be used for personal tasks at terminals. These moments drove us to check policies and seek manager clarification. The AI tools are magical: they helped me prepare for different challenges and gave me confidence as a mentor.”
His mentee, Samad, describes the difference this support has made:
“Having a mentor has been invaluable in the first eight weeks of working solo. I can pick up the phone and ask anything: Ope always helps. I look forward to continuing my development.”
These testimonials embody the program’s human strength: experienced colleagues willingly giving their time to help new starters grow, solve problems and build confidence. Many mentors describe the experience as a two-way journey, where supporting a new colleague deepens their own understanding of operational standards, leadership and communication. The voluntary commitment of mentors has emerged as one of the program’s key differentiators.
From a broader organizational perspective, the modular nature of the AI training platform means the tools can scale beyond PSAs, opening future opportunities across engineering, customer service, operations and compliance. It also lays the groundwork for advanced simulations in emergency response, accessibility, disruption management and customer-service excellence, further embedding digital learning innovation across the business.
The next stage of development involves expanding the platform so that AI support becomes integrated throughout every phase of an employee’s career. In the short term, the team is preparing to pilot a new AI onboarding assistant, which will guide new hires through learning paths, distribute essential documents, provide instant answers to operational questions and offer progress visibility to managers. Integrated with the Cornerstone AI Learning Management System, the assistant will help standardize onboarding across departments, reduce administrative burden and give every new employee a consistent, high-quality experience.
Teams will also work to refine the AI Training Buddy through voice integration, while broadening the program’s workshop offerings to include advanced topics such as goal-setting and professional development skills. As the program matures, training simulations will expand into more complex areas and new micro-learning resources will support both mentors and mentees, while feedback will continue to shape future iterations through structured reviews and mid-term evaluations.
Looking further ahead, KAD’s ambition is to build an ecosystem where AI-powered tools accompany employees from their first day to their most senior roles. By scaling the AI coaching tool, deepening integration with the AI-powered learning management system and extending training pathways across all operational domains, the company aims to define a new industry standard for lifelong professional development. The Light the Way program and its supporting technologies form a robust, sustainable and forward-looking AI training platform that empowers every colleague to grow, lead and thrive.
