Unlocking potential: The transformative power of mentorship in your organisation

In 2024, two young Softwerx professionals participated in separate mentorship programmes. As mentors, they supported school learners to develop the skills the leaners might need to help them land jobs in the workplace.

Setting the scene – mentorship in action

Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or knowledgeable person (the mentor) provides guidance, support and advice to a less experienced or less knowledgeable person (the mentee). This relationship aims to help the mentee develop skills, gain knowledge and achieve their personal or professional goals.

Faith Akinbo, Content Coordinator at Softwerx, joined the KINShiP Bursary Mentoring Programme. KINShiP is a four-month programme that works to empower young women to succeed in education and their future careers by increasing diversity in the workplace. Meanwhile, Phoebe Ward, Events Coordinator at Softwerx, became an Early Careers Ambassador with Form the Future. She ran a six-week programme supporting half a dozen secondary school students with low attendance and low confidence. The results were inspiring!

Bridging the gap between learning and work

Phoebe thrived as a mentor of school learners who were at risk of becoming ‘NEET’ (not in education, employment or training). The mentorship involved the group in a programme of weekly meetings involving interactive tasks and discussion topics over six consecutive weeks. A big highlight for Phoebe was watching the students grow in confidence, especially one young learner who enjoyed website development and shared weekly updates on his work. Phoebe commented on the experience, “It was great to see the participants’ progress over the weeks. I think it was especially helpful to give struggling students the space to think creatively about their careers .”
Phoebe hopes that introducing the students to the world of work and the real-world relevance of their studies will inspire personal growth, boost motivation and elevate their career aspirations.
Phoebe’s advice for young professionals is to “get involved”. She commented, “Being a role model can change a student’s mindset. Apprenticeships are another great career and education option, which I have direct experience with and am gaining recognition for. Students need to meet people who’ve been through it to believe it’s possible.”
David Brockway, Product Development Manager at Form the Future CIC says, “Phoebe’s excellent communication skills make her a valuable member of our volunteer community and an excellent role model to young people in the region.”

Developing leadership

Faith’s role in 2024 was as mentor of a secondary school leaver completing her A-levels. Faith helped her mentee gain confidence in navigating LinkedIn, securing work experiences, and preparing for internships through monthly meetings and semi-structured coaching sessions. Faith loved her mentoring experience because it allowed her to share her knowledge and reflect on her career journey. She was also motivated by KINShiP’s mission to empower women by fostering self-belief.

“Mentoring is a good way to practice leadership and development skills and impact someone’s life. It’s important to get to know your mentee and deliver honest feedback,” Faith remarked.

Faith’s mentee commented, “ I have learnt new skills, improved my communication skills, and gained the confidence to use LinkedIn to find work experience.”

Mentoring as a catalyst for career growth 🚀

Phoebe and Faith found mentorship to be a rewarding route through which to grow, learn and to inspire others. As their experience has shown, stepping into a mentorship role can very rewarding. Sometimes the rewards of mentoring are great, and they go beyond helping the person you are mentoring. The chances are you will also come away with learning more about yourself and boosting your own professional development in the process.