Support Shop is part of the new Get Mentoring Scheme (www.getmentoring.org).
This initiative was launched in November 2011 by Business Minister Mark Prisk, with the aim of recruiting and training thousands of business mentors across the UK. The project is led by SFEDI (Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative) and has strategic partner support from major UK business representative bodies and trade associations including the FSB, British Chambers of Commerce and the British Bankers Association.
The training will help future mentors explore the way their skills, knowledge and experience can be used to support new and growing businesses. On completion of just one day's FREE training, mentors will receive FREE membership of the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (IoEE) and be listed on www.mentorsme.co.uk, a national web portal which provides a single point of access to mentoring services.
Support Shop will be delivering the training from January 2012 (keep checking this website for dates). If you are interested, contact us by clicking here or call 01344 485111.
ELIGIBILITY
You are eligible for this scheme if you;
- Are running or have run your own business with 250 employees or fewer; OR
are a business support professional providing support to prospective and/or existing enterprise owners and entrepreneurs; OR
if employed, are working for a company employing fewer than 250 people.
- Are not currently providing mentoring support for the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) programme.
- Are not currently registered with a mentoring organisation featured on www.mentorsme.co.uk.
- Agree to become registered with the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs.
- Are willing to provide a minimum of 1 hour free business mentoring a month to a micro, small or medium sized business owner over the next two years (or equivalent).
TRAINING CENTRES
If we are not your local centre, look for a nearer partner on http://getmentoring.org/partners/delivery-partners
ANY QUESTIONS
Read our FAQ's on the left of this page. For more information, get in touch via our contact us page, email supportshop@workcentres.com or call 01344 485111.
GET MENTORING WORKSHOPS
What to Expect
Our mentoring workshops are just four hours long and run in the morning, afternoon and early evening to give you a choice of time.
Prior to attending we will send you the workbook for you to complete the activities and return them to us.
At the workshop, we will review your work in a group setting to allow you to share ideas.
At the end, you will answer a short questionnaire to assess your understanding. If you pass we will register you as an accredited mentor with SFEDI. If not, there is still the opportunity to resit after further study.
Workshop Timetable
|
Day |
Date |
Session |
Start |
Finish |
|
Wednesday |
1-Feb |
am |
09:30 |
13:30 |
|
Tuesday |
7-Feb |
eve |
16:00 |
20:00 |
|
Thursday |
9-Feb |
pm |
13:00 |
17:00 |
|
Tuesday |
14-Feb |
am |
09:30 |
13:30 |
|
Thursday |
16-Feb |
eve |
16:00 |
20:00 |
|
Wednesday |
22-Feb |
pm |
13:00 |
17:00 |
|
Tuesday |
28-Feb |
am |
09:30 |
13:30 |
|
Thursday |
1-Mar |
pm |
13:00 |
17:00 |
|
Tuesday |
6-Mar |
am |
09:30 |
13:30 |
|
Thursday |
8-Mar |
eve |
16:00 |
20:00 |
|
Wednesday |
14-Mar |
pm |
13:00 |
17:00 |
|
Tuesday |
20-Mar |
eve |
16:00 |
20:00 |
|
Thursday |
22-Mar |
am |
09:30 |
13:30 |
|
Tuesday |
27-Mar |
eve |
16:00 |
20:00 |
|
Thursday |
29-Mar |
am |
09:30 |
13:30 |
Q. Who can access the training available through the Get Mentoring scheme?
Q. What level is the training and is it accredited?
Q. How is the training provided?
Q. Who is the course best suited to?
Q. What experience do you need to become a mentor?
Q. What do you gain from the training?
Q. What is included in the training?
Q. Why should you become a mentor?
Q. What is the role of a Mentor?
Q. What is the ongoing commitment required of trained mentors?
Q. Who ensures the trained mentor gains IoEE membership after the course?
Q. Who is responsible for indemnifying mentors?
Q. Who can access the training available through the Get Mentoring scheme?
A. In order to access free business mentor training you will need to answer yes to the following list of eligibility criteria:
- I am running or have run my own business with 250 employees or fewer
OR
I am a business support professional providing support to prospective and/or existing enterprise owners and entrepreneurs
OR
if employed, I work for a company employing fewer than 250 people.
- I am not currently providing mentoring support for the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) programme.
- I am not currently registered with a mentoring organisation featured on www.mentorsme.co.uk.
- I agree to become registered with the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs.
- I am willing to provide a minimum of 1 hour free business mentoring a month to a micro, small or medium sized business owner over the next two years (or equivalent).
Q. What level is the training and is it accredited?
A. The training is fully accredited and upon successful completion of the training the learner receives a SFEDI Certificate of Recognition. This can be used to cover part of the requirements for the Level 3 Introduction to Enterprise Mentoring Award.
For further details please contact SFEDI Awards - http://www.sfediawards.com
A. The course is fully funded and therefore is completely free to eligible learners.
A. The training is delivered by any of the Get Mentoring delivery partners based across the UK: http://getmentoring.org/partners/delivery-partners.
Q. How is the training provided?
A. Training is available in the following formats:
- One day or half day workshops across the UK from a number of training providers
- Online or Distance Learning via the IoEE
Learners can choose the approach which works best for them. The course involves around 7 hours of learning.
Q. Who is the course best suited to?
A. The course is designed for business owners, SME employees and business support professionals who are either currently mentoring or have an interest in mentoring new and growing businesses.
Q. What experience do you need to become a mentor?
A. Mentors usually have hands-on professional expertise in running a business and/or experience in key business areas relevant to SMEs such as finance, accounting, marketing, sales, law, IT, customer service and imports/exports.
Q. What do you gain from the training?
A. On successful completion of the training you will gain:
- A SFEDI Certificate of Recognition for completing the Introduction to Enterprise Mentoring Course
- Free membership of the IoEE (Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship)
- Free registration via the IoEE or other relevant mentoring organisation on www.mentorsme.co.uk, a national web portal which provides a single point of access to mentoring services.
Q. What is included in the training?
A. The workshops are designed to help business people reflect on their current skills, experience and knowledge and apply this to the help and support they give others as they start and grow their businesses. You may also be able to benefit your own business from the training. Topic areas include mentoring background, the skills and tools required by mentors, legal and ethical requirements, demands facing the entrepreneur, business finance and marketing, sales and customers.
Q. Why should you become a mentor?
A. Your business knowledge puts you in a prime position to support the next generation of UK businesses. Research has shown that 70% of small businesses which receive mentoring survive for five years or more, which is double the rate compared with non mentored entrepreneurs. In addition to this, 20% of mentored businesses are more likely to experience growth. Consequently, experienced mentors will boost capability and capacity in the UK's small, medium and micro businesses, but also radically increase their survival rate.
Mentoring is primarily a way for business owners and entrepreneurs to give back to the enterprise community but a true mentoring relationship works in both directions, therefore as a volunteer mentor you can also learn new ideas to enhance your own enterprise know-how.
Q. What is the role of a Mentor?
A. The role of a mentor is to apply the knowledge and experience they have gained to the mentoring support they give their mentees. The www.mentorsme.co.uk outlines that the role of the mentor is:
- To encourage their mentee to express and discuss their ideas, concerns and understanding of the business situation facing them
- To help mentees to review their progress and set realistic and practical options to realise their goals
- To help mentees to reflect on and learn from things that did not turn out as expected
- To refer mentees to other sources of information, advice or further support when appropriate
- To encourage mentees to take responsibility for their own decisions, plans and actions
Q. What is the ongoing commitment required of trained mentors?
A. Trained mentors will be willing to provide at least one hour a month of free mentoring for two years.
Q. Who ensures the trained mentor gains IoEE membership after the course?
A. Full IoEE membership triggers when the training partner sends details of mentor status to the IoEE (or the mentor completes the online questionnaire). Once the membership registration is complete mentors will receive all login details by email directly from the IoEE.
Q. Who is responsible for indemnifying mentors?
A. The mentoring organisation's role is to facilitate mentoring relationships The mentoring relationship is a voluntary agreement between the mentor and mentee and should not include the provision of advice, therefore the mentoring organisation is not required to indemnify the member. The terms of use agreement with the IoEE state that the mentor agrees to indemnify the IoEE and that the IoEE is not liable for any loss or similar from any mentoring arrangement. However, as mentoring arrangements may differ if you join or belong to another mentoring organisation please do check their requirements.
