Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Enhanced Business Mentoring Helen Heanes Senior Economic Development Officer Dorset County Council

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Enhanced Business Mentoring What is mentoring Background to project Why we decided to do it Recruitment Seminars Tools for Mentors Targets and Outputs Outcomes

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future What is Mentoring? Definitions of mentor and mentoring: An experienced or trusted counsellor or guide help by one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking Mentoring is a relationship between two parties, where one (the mentor) gives the other (the client/mentee) guidance and support to achieve agreed objectives

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future How Mentoring works

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Enhanced Business Mentoring - Background Initial project agreed Summer ‘09 –3 mentoring schemes Not all partners able to commit Project revised November ‘09 –2 mentoring schemes –South Devon Business Mentors, DorMen New outputs and direction –Project extension to end June ‘10

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Progressing well

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Why we decided to do it Ethos –Use mentoring to support more businesses through the recession Increase capacity of mentoring schemes –More mentors –Technical knowledge –Skills development Legacy –Tools for Mentors –Mini tool kit, on-going resource

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Proper partnership working Dorset – development of soft skills training Devon – focus on ‘harder’ technical skills Joint technical seminars –Speakers and content arranged by Devon –Venues and locations arranged by Dorset Mentor Toolkit and materials available to both schemes

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Increasing physical capacity Mentor recruitment Induction workshops –for new mentors Website improvements New marketing materials

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Increasing technical capacity Technical Workshops - Mentoring in times of Recession and Recovery Finance Workshop for Business Mentors Raising Venture Capital and Alternative Finance Marketing Workshop Soft Skills Training

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Soft Skills - Advising v Mentoring ADVISING (DIRECTIVE – “PUSH”): SOLVING SOMEONE’S PROBLEM FOR THEM Telling Instructing Giving advice Offering guidance Giving feedback Making suggestions Asking questions that raise awareness Summarising Paraphrasing Reflecting Listening to understand MENTORING (NON-DIRECTIVE – “PULL”): HELPING SOMEONE TO SOLVE THEIR OWN PROBLEM

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Tools for Mentors Devon & Dorset –impact of Recession is still being felt now Mini tool kit for mentors Video case studies On-line materials and mentoring aids Fact sheets Flow charts Question prompts with suggested solutions

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future

The Outputs - Results so far original target revised target actual (to date) Recruit new mentors Mentors trained Induction workshops held557 Training workshops held888

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Who makes use of mentoring Dorset 160 businesses per year –100 since June ‘09 Main reasons over last 12 months –finding new markets –finding new business –business dried up as result of recession

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Who makes use of mentoring Devon Business per year Main reasons over last 12 months –75% - financial reasons –75% - sales & marketing –30-40% - general management –Increased call on use of UKT&I

Improving the quality of life for people in Dorset, now and for the future Dorset Public Sector Network Any Questions ? Helen Heanes