MODELS OF MENTORING FOR INCLUSION AND

EMPLOYMENT

Europe 2020 objectives

Employment, Education, Social Inclusion, Innovation

Smart growth - research/innovation creating new products/services that generate growth and jobs and help address social challenges

Inclusive growth – increased employment, reduced school drop-out rate, improved skills and education, improved integration

Positive effects of mentoring

Positive effects on intermediate outcomes, such as mental health

improvements in mentee attitude and behaviour

improvements in interpersonal relationships and integration

into the community

some reductions in recidivism

some improvements in academic achievement and integration

into education and training.

The MOMIE Project sought to fill in some gaps…..

There is little research on mentoring relationships between

adults.

There is no clear definition of peer mentoring. This make

analysis of peer mentoring difficult.

The positive results from studies on mentoring and peer mentoring

are often inconsistent

there is also little evidence on the specific impact of peer

mentoring on vulnerable and marginalised groups.

What are the key variables in the mentor/mentee relationship

Matching – based on characteristics (e.g. gender, race,

religion or ethnicity) or shared experience (e.g. offending,

health)

Relationship type and quality – an effective bond between

mentor and mentee and the ability of the mentor to empathise

with the mentee

Duration- length of relationship , greater frequency of contact

Supervision – supervision of mentors (e.g. support and

steering groups to help achieve goals)

Structured Activities – including academic and social

activities along with joint decision making about activities

Mentoring different groups

Different social

environments

UK • Veterans ex-offenders

Portugal• Social benefit

customers

Hungary• Recently released prisoners • Roma young people

How can mentoring

help? Different cultures/

backgrounds

Different demographics (age, gender, ethnicity)

Train the Trainer Event

2 trainers

5 peer mentors trained 5 non-peer mentors trained

25 mentees5 mentees per mentor

y hours of contactz type of contact

6 months of mentoring

25 mentees5 mentees per mentor

y hours of contactz type of contact

6 months of mentoring

Outcomes measured Outcomes measured

Do not complete mentoring

Do not complete mentoring

Complete mentoring

Complete mentoring

The amount (y) and type (z) of contact should be matched as closely as possible for those mentored by peers and those

mentored by non-peers

Innovative, cost effective programme

Common, transferrable training

Structured method of programme delivery

Framework for supporting mentors

Network of trained mentors (51 mentors trained:

24 peer, 27 non-peer)

Method of measuring outcomes consistently

Tackling smart growth

Mentees developed life skills to support movement

towards the labour market

Improved employment opportunities and

employment outcomes

Improved school results and investment in learning

for young mentees

Relationships developed between excluded groups

and the wider community

Tackling inclusive growth

Challenges

Impact of the economic climate (job losses, pay

cuts): increased demand on time and resources for

project organisers and mentors

Lack of senior buy in: difficulties embedding

programmes, slow referrals, drawn out set-up,

decreased motivation

Evaluating mentoring : testing multiple

variables, time and ability to complete materials,

impact on mentor-mentee relationship

Peer mentoring and non peer mentoring

embedded into practice of two

organisations - Portugal and Hungary

Input into development of a National

mentoring scheme - UK

Success against the odds

Project Deliverables

Literature review – adding to evidence

base on mentoring and peer mentoring

Mentoring programme design

protocol – Portugal

Distance travelled evaluation tool –

designed specifically for the project

Still more to be done...

Project supports the concept of mentoring as a successful

and transferrable model

Mentoring can be embedded and upscaled

BUT... More thought needs to be put into how mentoring

programmes are structured

More research needed to ensure mentoring models are

applied correctly to different communities

Mentoring tested against control groups to ensure rigour

of research findings