Mentoring: a way of ensuring real learning

A workshop by Tony Saddington

Whilst students learn knowledge and skills in our classrooms the acid test is how well they can apply and use these learnings in the real world of work. The need for learners to be supported in the process of applying and integrating their new learnings is underlined by the fact that workshops and educational programmes whilst highly rated as learning events often do not give the learners the ability to apply those learnings.

Mentoring is a process that supports learners as they try out newly learnt skills and knowledge in the workplace. Experience has shown that students are best able apply their learnings in the workplace when they have a mentor in their company or organization. Mentorships enable both learners and their mentors (often line managers) to engage in a dialogue and process to ensure that the learnings achieved in the classroom have both relevance for the workplace and actual impact on the learners practice. The mentoring process can provide the learner with support, access to resources, feedback and review, help balance what is being learnt with reality, create the space for applying the learning, and bridge the gap between training and work.

In this workshop participants will explore what a mentorship programme is all about; what the roles of mentors and learners are; what the potential issues and problems of setting up a mentorship programme are; and what opportunities exist for this to be used in their own situations. In addition participants will discover the importance of supporting the application of new learnings; various forms of mentoring; and ways to ensure that learners integrate and use the learnings gained in an educational event.

The workshop will be run experientially and includes group sessions and short theory sessions. Active participation is encouraged.

Who should attend:
Educators and trainers who wish to explore how to introduce a system of mentoring to help their learners in applying the learnings they have in the classroom. Line managers who wish to set up a mentoring process in their own organization or company.

Time needed for workshop:
One full day (or equivalent number of sessions).