Member Article

NORTH EAST BUSINESSES URGED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE MENTOR TRAINING

The training is part of a new scheme that pairs young people looking for work in the local area with those who can offer advice and support to help them get a job.

In exchange for signing up to mentor a young jobseeker businesses will be visited by Nord Anglia Education who will spend a day at their premises to provide the free professional development training, which teaches staff about mentoring skills.

Dave Peebles, manager of Jobcentre Plus in South Tyne and Wear Valley, believes both businesses and workers who signed up would benefit from the training on offer.

He said:

“This is a really chance for people to receive specialist training in how to be a good coach.

“Those who sign up will acquire additional skills which they can use to help both local young people and their individual business or employer.

“Workers can continue their own professional development and take back these new skills to help support other staff in the business. They will also get the opportunity to promote the sector they work in with young people and scout for fresh talent.”

Once training is completed the business will then be matched with a young person who is looking to get into a related industry. Once they have been matched sessions will last for around an hour and take place over a six-month period.

The mentoring scheme is part of the national Backing Young Britain campaign to help young people through the downturn with the offer of a job, training or work experience. To date, a wide variety of mentors have signed up from industries ranging from travel, IT and engineering to management consultancy.

Employers and workers can sign up to be mentors at www.backingyoungbritain-mentoring.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Amy Wardlaw .