The mentor’s role is to act as a role model and trusted source of support along the way. A good mentor will use questioning and listening skills to help the apprentice navigate their journey and use guidance and tools to help the apprentice develop in their career. Using mentoring skills can help the apprentice to make wise choices as they progress on their apprenticeship journey.
An effective mentoring relationship gives the apprentice an opportunity to receive short, medium or long-term personal and professional support. The relationship enables the apprentice to explore his or her personal and professional situation in order to develop goals that will have a positive impact on their career.
The mentor should have the personal experience and skills to give the apprentice the right level of support, and it is equally important for the mentoring to be done in the most appropriate way.
Mentoring is based on establishing a relationship based on equality, openness and trust. Above all, it should be supportive.
In a good mentoring relationship, the mentor encourages the apprentice to reflect on his or her own personal and professional experiences, and shares his or her own personal and professional experiences as well. In this way, the mentor supports the apprentice to devise new or more effective ways to approach problems and challenges.
