The project WE:MENTOR brought together experienced programme co-ordinators and less experienced co-ordinators of mentoring programmes (particularly focused on women) together in order to share knowledge and best practice in order to increase the potential quality of programmes provided for both mentors and mentees. Main aim was to encourage participants to combine their new knowledge of these methods and ideas for future activities and implement them in new lifelong learning projects. A series of practical workshops ran throughout the partnership, facilitated by partners with the most experience in that particular field. Possibilities like mentoring volunteers and ICT tools for future mentors and program leaders were introduced and encouraged them to use these tools and therefore brought more innovation and variety into the field of mentoring.

The project led to greater European co-operation between mentoring coordinators, their organisations, mentors and female mentees across Europe. Through sharing knowledge and experiences gained in different countries and cultures, the partnership also developed greater awareness of the cultural experiences of mentors and female mentees across Europe which led to greater understanding of differences as strengths.

Running mentoring programmes (and in particular those focused on women) involves specialist experience and expertise which is often costly and timely to acquire through formal training and education. In addition, mentoring programmes are often run by social and voluntary organisations where individuals may be trainers or individuals from a variety of non-related occupations.

As a result many mentoring programmes are run by inexperienced co-ordinators who often have to learn ‘on the job’. Whilst this can be an effective method for learning, it can be time-consuming for the learners (coordinators) and can mean that best practice is not embedded in the programme as there is not the opportunity for the coordinator to ensure they are following best practice approaches or guidelines, usually through lack of awareness.

 

Due to the wealth of information available on mentoring in an academic sense, it is often difficult for coordinators to find sources of information and training aimed at providing ‘hands on’ approaches to learning about coordinating mentoring programmes to ensure the best experience for mentors and mentees. There was therefore a need to bring together experienced programme coordinators and less experienced coordinators of mentoring programmes (particularly focused on women) together in order to share knowledge and best practice in order to increase the potential quality of programmes provided for both mentors and mentees.

 

Also, partners of the project found in their discussions that mentors and mentoring programs use new innovative and non-traditional methods for mentoring rarely and reluctantly. So we introduced different possibilities like ICT tools for future mentors and program leaders and encouraged them to use these tools and therefore bring more innovation and variety into the field of mentoring. What is more, it is very difficult to write projects about innovative methods (ICT tools, mentoring volunteers) if the writer is not so familiar with the subject. WE:MENTOR therefore aimed to encourage participants to combine their new knowledge of these methods and ideas for future activities and implement them in new lifelong learning projects.