Module I: Introduction

Dear Mentor,

Welcome to the training course on mentoring on employment-related issues under the project ‘e-Mentoring: New skills and competencies for new jobs’ (2011-2013) No. 511579-LLP-2010-LT-KA3-KA3M, www.e-mentoring.eu

This project addresses the common needs of students in High Education and in Vocational Education and Training (VET) institutions as well as adults to acquire employment-related skills/competences for (re)entering the fast-changing labour market by getting employed or by starting one’s own business. During the project, mentoring on employment-related issues as a blended learning method is being implemented for the above target groups.

If you are interested in becoming a Mentor or in learning more about the project, please contact the project partners directly:

• Social Innovation Fund (LT)
• Vytautas Magnus University (LT)
• Merseyside Expanding Horizons Ltd. (UK)
• ANNANET: Pertti Vihonen Oy (FI)
• Volkshochschule Göttingen (DE)
• Speha Fresia Societa Cooperativa (IT)
• European Partnership (LT)
• Bourgas Free University (BG)
• VentureQuest Ltd. LLC (USA)

How to learn

This is a self-learning training course which consists of different types of training materials combined in four learning sessions:

• Readings: this session provides the theoretical background for mentoring on employment-related issues from a Mentee’s point of view. The reading materials are divided into eight modules. By reading these modules, you will get acquainted with the main features of mentoring on employment-related issues and will be prepared to participate effectively in the mentoring process as a Mentee.
• Learning by doing: this is a questions/answers session. Its self-directed learning methodology is based on closed questions and, by answering the questions, you are actively involved in an analysis suggested by the question situation from your point of view. After having answered the question, the system will provide you with an estimation of your answer (if it was correct or not) with a clear reasoning of the correct answer. Thus, these learning materials are provided in an attractive and interactive way.
• Video: this is a video-film session common for all three courses: for Manager, for Mentors and for Mentees. A collection of video spots is used to visualise the training course.
• Success Stories: this session introduces success stories achieved in mentoring on employment-related issues and is common for all three courses: for Manager, for Mentors and for Mentees. These success stories can encourage you to participate in mentoring and to learn the benefits of being a Mentee.

Jump-starting your self-learning

We suggest you to start with the session of Readings and then continue with the sessions Learning by doing, Video and Success stories. However, you can select the order of the self-learning sessions as you wish, because all four are developed as independent units

Main learning outcomes for Mentor training course

After completing the training course Mentors will be able to:

1. Understand the concept of the blended mentoring on employment-related issues (ERI);
2. Apply in real life the knowledge about the structure of the mentoring process and main facilitating tools of mentoring;
3. Lead the mentoring process keeping in mind the benefits and challenges of e-Mentoring;
4. Understand the peculiarities of relationship between the Mentor and the Manager as well between the Mentor and the Mentee;
5. Help the Mentees to establish their goals within mentoring on employment-related issues;
6. Facilitate the mentoring using Open Educational Resources (OERs) on Employability and Entrepreneurship.

Session plan for self-directed learning course for Mentor

* One academic hour = 45 minutes.