What is expected of a mentor?

Mentors are required to be available for a short period for the four months of the program and usually for three months after the program to provide support in the time between the workshops.  They can be appointed and trained specifically for the duration of the programme, or they may be part of an organisational mentoring scheme. They will usually have 3 or 4 meetings with the participant during the program, and are provided with a half-day briefing workshop prior to commencement of the program.

Mentors criteria:

Should, where possible, be women to enhance the role-modelling aspect of the programme. Where men are mentors they need to be aware of gender differences in communication.

• Must support women’s development
• Be “developmentally” minded
• Ideally have attended a developmental course
• Have time to commit to the mentoring sessions
• Be open and approachable
• Want to do it
• Attend a mentors workshop
• Be able to encourage independence in the participants