The Role Of A Mentor
What is a Mentor? A Mentor is a ‘sounding board’, who is an experienced member of staff, offering advice and guidance.
Why is it important for the apprentice to have a mentor? So that the Apprentice has a named person they can go to with any concerns or problems that they might be experiencing.
What is the purpose of a mentor? To empower the apprentice and build self confidence as well as a good feedback tool on their performance.
The Apprentice you are mentoring will probably be entering full time employment for the first time. Many areas of their role and training will bring concerns and barriers that they may never have never crossed before in their life. As a mentor you are there to guide and support the Apprentice. This support can take many forms, from informal chats and checking on welfare, to giving support and advice for some of the issues and concerns that may arise. To be a good mentor you will need to be enthusiastic about your role as a mentor and be prepared to give your time to guide and support the individual over the period of their Apprenticeship.
Whilst mentoring you will also fill out a mentoring handbook, this is a good tool for employers to support their apprentices.
If you need to speak to us about the handbook or anything regarding mentoring – please call 0121 454 2043, to speak to the Employer Liaison Team.