Category: Mentor

Literature is abundant on the barriers Women of Color face in Higher education faculty and administration roles. This literature review will present research from articles and books. Women in higher education who seek leadership roles give up on working in administration for seen or unseen barriers. Jackson and Harris (2007) suggest nine barriers to Black and Minority Females in higher education. The barriers are: ‘race and gender intolerance’ ( p. 121), ‘gate-keeping’ (p. 121), ‘glass ceiling’ (p. 121), ‘myths’ (p.121), ‘lack of encouragement’ (p. 122), ‘lack of networking’ (p. 122), ‘board/trustee relationships’ (p. 122), ‘family responsibilities’ (p. 122), and ‘organizational barriers’ (p. 123). There were 43 African American women university chancellors interviewed for this study. Most women experience some of all those barriers on the road to becoming a chancellor. Those barriers even exist in other leadership roles.

Madsen (1998) suggests women leaders must develop a collective spirit, be willing to hear and receive ideas of others. Also, women must maintain a sense of humor to alleviate pressure and hold respect for non-leaders and leaders that work with them. Madsen (1998) mentions that female leaders should speak with assertiveness and straightforward and chose conflicts carefully. She also discussed the significance of math skills, time management skills, research, and writing, along with oratory skills. Those skills create a keen chancellor of an institution. Women leaders should choose a mentor and develop a proper attitude. According to Jackson and Harris (2007), African American women are making strides in the levels of higher education, barriers still exist. The more African American women move in leadership roles, the more it will open doors for women coming along behind them.

Davis and Maldonado (2015) attempt to answer one of my research questions from my draft concept paper about how women can move away from the glass ceiling concept? The study conducted in this article was a qualitative phenomenological study. The authors five women interviewed for this study. Davis and Maldonado (2015) evaluated how race and gender affected the experiences of African American women, rising leaders. The authors convey that the quantity of research on women’s leadership roles has increased, but hardly any studies explore the leadership growth of African American women. According to the Department of Labor Statistics record, women represented 46% of leadership roles in the United States (U.S. Department of Labor, 2007). However, in 2011, the number rose to 51% (U.S. Department of Labor, 2012).

Challenges to leadership roles are a worldwide occurrence where women when compared to men, work in concentrated in low-level leadership roles (Northouse, 2010). The low number appears to be a trend in the world. Davis and Maldonado (2015) discuss the Black Feminist Theory defined as understanding race, gender, and class. The Black Feminist Theory goes back to slavery days. The authors also discuss the feminist and sociocultural theory in the article. Feminist theory investigates issues on the constant oppression and inequity of women (Davis & Maldonado, 2015). Sociocultural methods examine race, gender, and social status in understanding power forces with governmental and additional systems where power can abuse people (Merriam & Caffarella, 1999).

Five themes become apparent from the experiences of women. Themes from Davis and Maldonado (2015) are as follows: ‘predestined for success’ (p. 57), ‘sponsorship from the unexpected’ (p. 58), ‘double jeopardy of race and gender’ (p. 58), ‘learn how to play game’ (p. 59), and ‘pay it forward’ (p. 60). Predestined for the success theme explain if individual ethics not instilled in them, they would not be successful. Their families made sure to instill specific characteristics in them. The participants demonstrate sponsorship theme by describing how their sponsors donated to their career tenure. The participants explain how race and gender affected their rise to leadership roles, but they never let that stop them. The participants reveal how women must understand that they are excluded from the ‘good old boys’ club. However, women must locate sponsors; often, men were willing to help advance their careers. Last, pay it forward shows that women have a lack of mentor relationships. Women must work to develop mentor relationships with other African American women.

Parker (2015) indicated in research that the Dean of Women was the first supervisory position offered in the 1890s to females in coeducational universities. Those positions became a necessity for the university. Dean of women became imperative because of the significant increase in the female population on university campuses. Research indicated that female professors, compared to male professors transcend up the profession ladder slower, are less productive, have larger teaching loads, and earn lower salaries (Parker, 2015). Mentor mentee relationships were recommended to expand female representation in senior leadership positions (Parker, 2015). Helgesen (1990) suggested that women would be received into areas of mastery until a healthy equilibrium of females and males existed in all worldwide organizations.

Hague and Okpala (2017) evaluated the senior leadership experiences of African American women in North Carolina Community Colleges. In 2006, women comprised 23% of college presidencies roles, but White women were mostly in those leadership positions ( American council on education, 2012). The authors used the Black feminist theory for this research study. The Black feminist theory derived when abolitionists were working to end slavery. Black women were treated unequally as citizens and humans by a system whose main goal was to dismantle them as women (Hague & Okpala, 2017). Race and gender and intersectionality tied into the concept of the Black feminist theory. Intersectionality investigates the belief that gender, race, and social class cross to create a system allowing African American women with different unfair levels of power and benefits (Lloyd-Jones, 2009).

The contributors were asked to describe their senior leadership experiences. They recommended mentoring, networking, and professional development as essential factors to leadership growth. Most of the contributors deemed mentor-mentee relationships as a vital factor during their transformation in the North Carolina Community Colleges (Hague & Okpala, 2017). The contributors also recommended that individuals take dominance of community colleges’ professional development, which prepares leaders to lead at community colleges (Hague & Okpala, 2017). Individuals should make a point to attend training, whether its in-state or out of town. Women should put aside money and save for professional development.

Hague and Okpala (2017) conclude with suggestions for African American women with ambitions of becoming leaders at community colleges. First, it recommended that women take control of their professional training and education. Second, African American women should search for mentor-mentee relationships with a current of past senior administrative leaders. Last, African American women should create professional networking relationships at the state, national, and international levels. Hague and Okpala (2017) recommend that another study like this conducted with a larger sample size. They also suggest that further research performed with a mixed-method or a phenomenological study.

Also, Allen and Butler (2014) indicated barriers that African American women face such as marginalization, isolation, lack of mentor-mentee relationships, and visibility. The authors use two models to show how coethnic mentorship operates. However, there has been a considerable increase in the amount of African American faculty over the years (Croom & Patton, 2012). Universities need to increase recruiting efforts for hiring a diverse faculty and administration. When fewer women chose not to become a mentor for their junior colleagues, the pessimistic cycle continues. It is vital to survey the various advantages of mentor relationships for African American faculty (Allen & Butler, 2014).

Mentorship is when a person of higher-level ranks, special attainments, and prominence instructs, counsels and aids the career development of a junior faculty member. Jones et al.’s (2013) research indicated that mentor-mentee relationships are more valuable when women are terminal students pursuing their doctorate degrees. A right mentor can help you navigate through any barriers you may face on your journey. After all, they are not mentors if they have not once walked in your shoes. Allen and Butler (2014) elaborated theory suggests that the presence of African American superior faculty, might create ways to refine the all-inclusive performance of faculty retention, research efficiency, and job tenure of African American junior women faculty. Figure 1 showed a demonstration model of coethinc mentorship. However, figure 2 is a model purposely exclusive to African American women.

Allen and Butler (2014) recommended that African American lower-ranking faculty seek to establish mentor relationships with the same racial background, gender, and with some of the same experiences. The research contained two limitations. The model only considered organizational metropolis as a mentoring resource. Second, the model makes a big presumption that shared encounters positives, which is not always accurate in all situations. Allen and Butler (2014) recognize that additional work needed around the development of mentor-mentee relationship models such as the one used for this research. Allen and Butler (2014) also suggest observed testing of the model can produce a greater understanding of variations and results of mentorships relationships.

Jones (2019) explores the critical theories and frameworks about the scarcity of African American women in senior leadership positions. Most of the women chancellors’ head two- year institutions, liberal arts, and all women’s colleges (National Center for Education Statistics, 2015). Men out weight women in senior-level leadership roles in universities and especially at four- year institutions (National Center for Education Statistics, 2015). Women of color face ‘sexism’ and ‘racism’ (p. 8), ‘stereotypes’ (p. 8), ‘isolation’ (p. 9),’ glass ceiling theory’ (p. 9), ‘concrete ceiling theory’ (p. 9) and ‘pipeline theory’ (p. 10). Some women in senior leadership roles demand that society should no longer acknowledge various stereotypes (Perry & Gunderson, 2011). Glass ceiling theory concluded that women of color encounter the bias higher than non- minority women ( Jones, 2019). The precise method is a result of the glass ceiling with additional barriers added at the job (Jones, 2019). The pipeline theory is also known as the ‘pipeline myth.’ Pipeline theory suggests that women of color are not graduating terminal programs at a high rate, therefore are not enough women eligible for leadership roles.

Jones (2019) calls for nuanced data to apprehend vital information about women instructors of color, quantitative, and qualitative research suggested. Research must explore the leadership styles of women (Jones, 2019). Women possess a different type of leadership style than men. Jones (2019) indicated that people need to understand the piece of women of color in senior leadership positions specifically in the perspective of the evolving nature of statistics in the university academy’s (Jones, 2019).

Dunn, Gerlach, and Hyle (2014) explored women of color leadership experiences at universities. The underrepresentation of women in higher education senior leadership roles indicates that male applications and leadership positions work to reject women ( Dunn et al., 2014). Men should not reject women in leadership roles. The contributors revealed that mentor-mentee relations place a significant role in helping them succeed in senior leadership roles (Dunn et al ., 2014). Women must learn from previous mistakes made in administrative positions. Research in the future is needed to compare the encounters of female leaders in different academic organizations to explain how gender influences regulatory encounters and results. This project increased confidence and self- awareness in the capacity to serve as mentors in mentor-mentee relations for future women leaders (Dunn et al., 2014).

Duran’s (2016) research evaluates the encounters of faculty women of color at universities, mainly focusing on battles of Latinas. Women of color voices should not go unnoticed at universities. Latina graduate students launched to support and mentor-mentee projects in communities to share personal testimonials as a way to give voice to women of color working at predominately White universities (Flores & Garcia, 2009, p. 155). Critical- feminism, Latina/0 critical theory, and the United States third- world woman’s liberation as a framework to survey Latina space ( Duran, 2016).

The primary purpose of critical – race feminism is to withstand essentialism (Flores & Garcia, 2009). Essentialism is a traditional view that certain concepts and skills are essential to the world and should be taught systematically to all students regardless of specific needs of abilities (Dictionary.com). Duran (2016) indicated hoe mentor relationships are vital to the success of faculty women of color and the entrance to promotions that women seek to obtain. The mentor relationships can help with the critical race theory regarding women of color. Duran (2016) suggests that universities must create resources and support mentor-mentee systems that endorse voice and encounters of women of color.

Evans (2007) evaluated why women of color are excluded from the academy and explain tenure requirements, specifically in the Florida University System. Tenure is earned at a university if a person fulfilled the need of the university. FAMU had 37 Black women promoted at full professors and 128 Black women promoted as full professors (Evans, 2007). Notice the significant difference between tenured professors in 2007. Racism still is shown at various colleges. Most college campuses do not offer workshops to combat racism on campus (Evans, 2007). If schools hire diverse faculty at colleges, the school should provide seminars with race information.

Last, Evans (2007) indicated that if schools wish to create a genuinely great academy in this country, it must have inclusiveness. She suggests that universities must recruit diverse students and instructor populations that further promote encounters, theories, and frameworks. Evans (2007) indicated from empirical and short narratives that faculty of color functions within a more shared culture than a mainstream culture model.

References

1. Allen, A., & Butler, B.R. (2014). African American women faculty: Towards a model of coethnic mentorship in the academe. Journal of Progressive Policy & Practice, 2(1).
2. American Council on Education. (2012). The American college president 2012. Washington, D.C.
3. Croom, N., & Patton, L. (2012). The miner’s canary: A critical race perspective on representation of Black women full professors. Negro Educational Review, 62/63 (1-4), 13-39.
4. Davis, D.R. & Maldonado, C. (2015). Shattering the glass ceiling: The leadership development of African American women in Higher education. Advancing Women in Leadership. 35. 48-64.
5. Dictionary.com (2019)
6. Dunn, D., Gerlach, J.M., & Hyle, A.E. (2014). Gender and leadership: Reflections of women in higher education administration. International Journal of Leadership and Change. 2(1).
7. Duran, V. (2016). Mentorship and women of color in higher education: The stronger our voice, the greater impact we might forge. Listening to the Voices: Multi- ethnic Women in Education. 111-118.
8. Evans, S.Y. (2007). Women of color in American higher education. The NEA Higher Education Journal. 131-138.
9. Flores, J., & Garcia, S. (2009). Latina testimonios: A reflexive, critical analysis of a ‘Latina space’ at a predominately white campus. Race, Ethnicity and Education, 12, 155- 172. DOI:10.1080/1361330902995434
10. Helgesen, S. (1990). The female advantage. New York: Bantam, Doubleday, Dell Publishing Group, Inc.
11. Jackson, S. & Harris, S. (2007). African American female college and university Presidents: Experiences and Perceptions of Barriers to the Presidency. Journal of Women in Educational Leadership. 118-137.
12. Jones, T.B., Wilder, J.A., Osborne-Lampkin, L. (2013). Employing a Black feminist approach to doctoral advising: Preparing Black women for the professoriate. Journal of Negro Education, 82(3), 326-338.
13. Lloyd- Jones, B. (2009). Implications of race and gender in higher education administration: An African American woman’s perspective. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11(5), 606-618.
14. Lloyd- Jones, B. ( 2019). Where are the African American Women Leaders? A call for more nuanced research in higher education. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Review. 5(1). 7-15.
15. Madsen, M. (1998). Women administrators in higher education. In L.H. Collins, J.C. Chrisler K. Qunita (Eds.), Career strategies for women in academe (pp.215-238). London: Sage.
16. Merriam, S.B. & Caffarella, R.S. (1999). Learning in adulthood. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
17. National Center for Education Statistics (2016). Full-Time instructional staff, by faculty and tenure status, academic rank, race/ethnicity, and gender (degree-granting institutions) Fall survey. IPEDS Data Center.
18. Northouse, P.G. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications
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21. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. ( 2011). Women in the Labor Force: A Databook. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/cps/wlf-databook-2012.pdf
22. U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s Bureau. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/wb/

Coaching and mentoring are regular terms used across the school, especially in my role as assistant Headteacher for quality of teaching, early professional development (EPD) and mathematics. There is an ethos of mentoring and coaching and the school has adopted the principles of coaching and mentoring as set out in Mentoring and Coaching CPD Capacity Building Project 2004 -2005 (National Framework for Coaching and Mentoring). Although the school has adopted some of these principles, they have not been adopted by all coaches and mentors and some mentoring advice and level of open-ended questioning is still a concern and has come under fire on a few occasions in the academic year 2018-2019. In my role as EPD lead, I was mentor to three newly qualified teachers (NQTs) and one schools direct trainee. I was also quality assuring the mentorship of others across the school. One of the NQTs had to extend her Final Induct due to extenuating circumstances. Throughout her Induct 2, she was performing at requiring improvement and unsatisfactory at times. This is another contradiction to National Policies as KPS has continued to grade lessons, although new Ofsted guidance has stated, ‘Ofsted does not expect schools to use the Ofsted evaluation schedule to grade teaching or individual lessons.’ This was a decision the CEO made, as she needed some means to quality assure the teaching practice and hold staff members, at differing positions, to account.

Coaching and mentoring have become interchangeable terminology for many people in the recent years (Parsloe and Leedham, 2009). These two terms are also often paired together as they are approaches for individual growth and development (Garvey, 2011; Clutterbuck and Megginson, 2016). However, there must be clear portrayal between these two terms to ensure that there is clarity in understanding and using the terms, as they both have very distinct characteristics, which impact on their real-life application. This has been part of the reason that the quality of mentorship has been inconsistent and some mentees and coachees have subsequently suffered.

Coaching and mentoring have existed since the beginning of time, however, their etymology has developed; mentoring, from Homer’s Greek Odyssey (Garvey, 2011), where a mentor was an older, wiser man, who was asked by Odysseus, to look after his son when he went to fight. Homer’s mentor did not just to care for him, but also prepared him for the responsibilities and tasks ahead (Rogers, 2004: 23). Today, the term mentor has become synonymous with the concept of a trusted adviser, a more experienced and more knowledgeable other, usually in the same organisation or linked with the organisation, who is not a line manager but a ‘career friend’ (Rogers, 2004: 23). This person acts as a guide and supporter. Although the term mentor is dated back to Ancient Greece, the modern connotations of mentor originate in a comparatively ‘recent’ work of fiction. In 1699, the French writer and educator François Fénelon published Les Aventures de Telemaque, a tale intentionally modelled on Homer’s Odyssey. In this novel, Mentor was endowed with the virtues that have come to be associated with mentoring today (Roberts 1999). From Fenelon’s very popular book, the word mentor, with its current meaning, eventually found its way into the English language.

Most definitions provided in the scholarly and practitioner literature refer back to the seminal studies on workplace mentoring undertaken by Kathy Kram in the 1980s. According to Kram (1985) ‘Mentoring is an intense long-term relationship between a senior, more experienced individual (the mentor) and a more junior, less experienced individual (the protégé)’. (Kram 1985, cited in Eby & Allen 2002, p. 456). She further developed this in 1988 and supported the idea of performance mentoring and suggested that a mentor is someone who is able to help the ‘protégé’ to ‘navigate effectively in the organisational world’ (Kram, 1988).

This early definition has been subsequently critiqued and expanded, so that today there is a proliferation of definitions and discussions of the mentoring concept to be found in the literature. Disputed themes include Can peers be mentors? Can a younger employee mentor an older employee? Can a direct superior be a mentor? Can mentoring be formalised?

Similarly, Daniel Levinson first presented the modern concept of mentoring in the USA in his (1979) book The Seasons of a Man’s Life. This was a substantial longitudinal study of male development. Levinson used the term ‘mentor’ for someone, often half a generation older, who could help accelerate the development of another in his age-related transitions. He suggested that mentoring could reduce these age transitions from an average of seven to three years. This very quickly became the catalyst for a rapid growth in mentoring that would focus on an accelerated career progression in the USA. Levision’s ideology of mentoring supported the idea that a mentor had to be knowledgeable and experienced in a particular field and had to be older. However, this raises some thought-provoking questions: How experienced must a mentor be? How can you measure a mentor’s knowledge? In the context of this assignment, how knowledgeable and experienced was I to mentor and coach a failing NQT? The above definition contradicts the work of Kay and Hinds (2005) who concluded that ‘a mentor is seen as being an equal’ (Kay and Hinds, 2005). The question that arises here is; how can a mentor be an equal, when they possess more experience and knowledge, and according to Levison (1979) is ‘someone often half a generation older’?

Introduction

Throughout life people often have a person who one looks up to as a role model. Having an adult figure in one’s life to help guide, support, and assist to reach goals one wants to achieve (Rhodes, 2002). This person often will guide you as you experience many lessons in life, while facilitating a path one wants to take is one-way mentoring is helpful for many people who experience the benefits of this mentorship partnership. The support of a mentor in today’s society is often viewed in the wrong manner. Many people identify a mentor in the same way they view their parental support (Rhodes, 2002). The mentor – mentee relationship cannot be confused with a parent – child relationship, and it is not recommended that the mentor is a relative of the mentee (Rhodes, 2002). Rhodes (2002) believes “the term has generally been used in the human services field to describe a relationship between an older, more experienced adult and unrelated, younger protégé- a relationship in which adult provides ongoing guidance, instruction, and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the protégé” (p. 4). One of the benefits of having a mentor is when two people create a relationship based upon trust, respect, and in a judgement free zone. This gives a person the opportunity to be authentic and focus on their agreed upon goals of the mentor partnership.

My Own Experience

I am fortunate to have a mentor in my life today. His name is Andrew, who is my boss at Lifetime Fitness. This mentorship relationship began last summer, which was during my early adulthood development phase. Andrew recruited me to work on his team and gave me the opportunity to expand my horizons as one of his team members in the café. He was impressed with the manner I was able to handle myself in the Café. He identified an opportunity to expand some skills, leadership and conflict resolution behaviors because our primary role in the café was customer service. His mentorship style was to identify and discuss obstacles that I had confronted during my day at work, which also extended into my personal life. He understands my strengths and weaknesses. He often guided the discussion in a format which would outline a problem, resolve, what was the conflict and how would it be resolved from a leader’s perspective. He organized the discussion which ensured accountability and self-identification. Andrew and I would see each other almost every day during the summer at work. He would often bring to my attention issues or circumstances of how to provide customer service in a fast-paced environment. This would allow me to learn and adapt new techniques when dealing with customers. The pathways of mentoring influence model help foster mentor-mentee relationships. This creates a partnership that fosters trust, accountability, and action steps to transition to a preferred outcome. Having a mentor on the job is beneficial because you have someone who is experienced and been through obstacles that the mentee will face. He motivates and pushes me to work at higher levels, through learning from my mistakes and follow up actions that can or could have been completed. I was at a point in my life where I needed additional support and someone whom I could confide in. He was there and very willing to help me but as a mentor more than a boss. Many organizations are able to retain their employees this way because it is creating a positive work environment (Emma, np). This relationship bolstered both my cognitive and identity development. Thus, to further analyze this relationship, I will utilize both cognitive development theory (L. S. Vygotsky) and identity development (Daniel Levinson). It will help demonstrate the identification, implementation and growth that I experienced at Lifetime Fitness due to my relationship with Andrew.

The mentoring model is a model that is widely used to help mentor have a guide while building a relationship with their mentee. Rhodes (2002) explains how this is used during youth adolescence. The first step in any relationship is to identify a person who is willing to be your mentor. After one accepts this role, it is essential to begin the process of building trust. This part of the process is timely because building trust takes place over a period of time it not instant. During the process of building trust there are three developmental stages that are focused on: social-emotional development, cognitive development, and role modeling and identification. These stages will help foster a relationship with your parents and other close relatives. The outcome will be the success the mentee has accomplished and experienced growth. It could be in school, work, or skills that one may focusing working on in that moment or an identified opportunity to experience personal growth. Andrew used this model to help me develop my skills. His focus was primarily on the cognitive, role modeling and identification stages.

To begin, cognitive development happens when one starts to learn new information and knowledge about an environment (Rhodes, 2002). People use the information one learns and applies it to their everyday personal and professional life. Rhodes discusses throughout adolescence you are beginning to learn new tools such as problem solving, how to handle conflict, and how to evaluate thoughts (p.42). When a person is strengthening their cognitive skills, their perspective of themselves and how others view them will continue to change positively (Rhodes, 2002). This applies to my relationship with Andrew because he understood when I first started my job that is was going to take time for me to understand the procedures and technical skills necessary to be successful on the job. He knew learning new information and skills would take some time so we would meet daily to ensure the skills were being implemented and adapted each day in the café. This helped facilitate an environment where learning was not rushed and minimized mistakes which enabled me to be a valuable member of his staff. Andrew continued to build trust during our initial meetings which helped foster additional success and a path for me to discuss errors and remediation. He would open up to me about his personal life and his journey. An approach that Rhodes explains is L.S. Vygotsky “zone of proximal development” …. “it is beyond what a young person can do when problem solving on his or her own but within a range of what he or she can do while working under adult guidance or with capable peers” (p.42). This is where the mentee has the opportunity to grow and expand their strengths and capabilities. One may feel they are not ready for this step which is why the mentor will just observe and give guidance if necessary. For example, I was nervous when my mentor Andrew wanted me to move up to a job with more responsibility, which was preparing meals for the customers. This involved memorizing more recipes, working with more coworkers, and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. He knew I could do it, but he wanted me to come to the realization on my own. This was how he would build accountability and drive me to learn more and more each day. This is when a person starts to take responsibility for their growth and solving issues. Making decisions each day made me feel gratified that I was growing and learning new aspects of this business. I was motivated to want and learn more with his guidance which was his goal, for me to become more independent in my role in the café.

Communication in Mentor-Mentee Model

Communication is also very important in the mentor relationship. Vygotsky research on zone of proximal development has illustrated why it has had positive impact on the relationship between a mentor and a mentee. Through the process of zone of proximal development, the mentee is learning the skills that will help translate into meaningful conversations between the mentor and mentee (Rhodes, 2002). These conversations that are meaningful represent how one’s relationship will become even stronger and build upon the trust that is already present. While learning more tools, skills, and more advance vocabulary from experiences the mentee can now use it in their daily lives while having conversations with peers, parents, and your mentor. It is evident that I have experienced growth (Rhodes, 2002). This was recently experienced in the manner in which I rushed for a sorority. Utilizing my expanded skills that I developed with Andrew as my mentor, I enjoyed the process of meeting new people on campus, did not lead with judgement, and was present. This allowed me to search for the best possible match for me that aligns with mutual goals in life and in the world.

After experiecing the stage of cognitive development where I was able to strengthen my skills in conflict resolution and leadership development I was able to experience self-identification which he used through role modeling. This was powerful because I was able to make adjustments in the moment which was valuable to me in the café. During this time of development, one starts to think who they want to be and how one will get there (Rhodes, 2002). Rhodes describes “the modeling process is thought to be reinforces through mentor’s emotional support and verbal feedback” (p.45). Levinson explain that “imagined self” is used during this developmental stage while emerging into early adulthood (as cited in Rhodes, 2002, p.47). This is used to help create moral and values in the ongoing development of who a person wants to evolve to be in life. This stage is important for developing a version of yourself that is rewarding. The mentee needs to think about their overall goals and determine what steps need to be taken in the process of this development. My mentor Andrew did this for me through many discussions and ongoing evaluation of my goals. He felt it was important to check in to ensure this process was mutually satisfying. . We would create maps and goals of what I want my life to look like after college and what steps I needed to accomplish in this process.. Andrew would help me work on my self-confidence and believing in my abilities. Andrew illustrated through his life experiences that your life can go in directions that you do not want. It is up to me to use the motivation I have inside of me to adjust my action, behaviors and point myself in the right direction. Levinson’s theory aligns with how Andrew was helping me because he wanted me to learn what I want out of my life. Andrew would not sit there and give me the answers, but he would guide me. This took me a great amount of time figure out because I need to take the next steps in my life. Brainstorming and experimenting with new ideas is one-way Andrew would help guide to lead me to answers. Although, I feel I will never have a mapped out perfect plan of my life, but I now have an idea what kind of action plan I have to help me achieve the life I want to be successful and be happy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this model is a helpful guide for mentors to guide their mentee through this structured process to achieve success. Not every mentee is going to necessarily need guidance in each developmental part therefore, communication is important. It is essential before committing to this mentor and mentee relationship you set expectations and goals for one another. For example, creating a contract of agreement to help keep one another accountable is essential for the success of the partnership. This is important because each person needs to know what one another needs and wants out of this relationship. This model is built on trust so it is important to discuss what trust looks like and how it will evolve. Trust is a key attribute of this model. After trust is built , it allows you to transition forward moving to the next developmental stages of the mentoring processing. There is no timeline in how long a mentor- mentee relationship should last; it is all dependent on your initial commitment. Currently, Andrew is still my mentor. When I am in need of guidance, I know I can call or text while I am at college. Therefore, since we do not have our regular meetings, we always schedule a meeting when I return home from college. I am fortunate to have a mentor who really cares about my successful in life and is willing to be available to help me further expand my skills at work, college and overall life. It really means a great deal to me that he has personally and professional invested in my development.

Stereotypically, when considering how an individual can engage with CPD to enhance their knowledge, class room based learning would be what is thought about. However, there are now a number of ways for individuals to now engage with CPD due to the increasing use to technology and innovative ways to learn. There are a number of ways in which everyone can learn and develop their skills, whether this is for personal and professional reasons. This can include coaching, mentoring, workshops, distance learning, guided reading, secondments, on the job training and much more. However, there is always going to be advantages and limitations of all learning methods depending on factors such as the individual learning styles and levels of motivation, what is being learnt and how accurate the information being transferred is. The two learning methods that will be analysed is mentoring and distance learning. According to Manchester Metropolitan University (2019) mentoring encompasses the concept of an individual with specific knowledge helping people to develop their own skills. It is a relationship with the goal of building confidence and provide the opportunity to control their work place development. Manchester Metropolitan University (2019) further specified that mentoring is importantly different to training, teaching and coaching and the mentor does not have to have any specific qualification related to teaching or one that clarifies that they are a professional within their field.

There are many advantages to using mentoring within the workplace to aid an employee’s learning. A mentor needs to have the ability to listen to their protégée and ask relevant open ended questions to ensure that learning is taking place with a clear direction. One of the significant advantages of mentoring is that the person can learn while they are on the job. They do not need to necessarily engage with external training which can cost precious time and money and potentially may not be as relevant to the organisation as on the job training. According to Gaille (2016) mentoring in the workplace is extremely useful as it encourages consistency. Gaille (2016) clarified that a successful workplace requires to be consistent in order for the productivity to be predictable and manageable. This is particularly relevant when a new employee is integrated which can potentially be a cause of disruption as it can take a long time to have their skill level up to the necessary standard required for consistency. Therefore, in this respect, mentoring a new employee when used effectively can significantly shorted this time as the employee gains knowledge and experience to carry out their jobs as expected by following their mentors lead. Furthermore, Gaille (2016) suggested that companies have their own methods and jargon which may not make sense to new employees. A mentor who has been integrated into this system for a substantial time can work with the employee to explain the language that is being used so communication is not affected. Being a new employee can be a scary time, especially if they are not understanding the language and phrased being used. Therefore, the mentor can not only increase their efficiency they can also help improve their confidence and well-being. However, a mentor must be wary that they are mentoring in such a way that that they become dependent on their mentor. This in itself could cause problems further down the line as the protégée may well lose their ability to work independently and find it hard to function without the support and advice from their mentor. This could cause an increased strain on the mentor with the added pressure and also negatively affect company productivity with certain employee’s dependant on others.

A large part of mentoring is the ability to create a mutually beneficial relationship and mentoring can provide a very successful support network when used effectively, therefore the mentor’s ability to create strong relationships is crucial to this process. Reddy (2016) illustrated that it is vital for a mentor and their mentee can develop a mutual trusting relationship and must crease mutual goals which they both want to achieve during the mentoring period. In this respect, if they are not actually in sync with what they want to get out of this process, the whole point of this process must be questioned. Therefore, there are pros and cons to using mentoring as a way to develop within the workplace. If a mentor is able to develop a relationship where both parties feel appreciated and respected and able to both agree on goals this can be extremely useful to learning. The mentor can significantly help the mentor in their early stages and make their time within this programme an enjoyable, engaging and satisfying process. However, this is assuming that the chosen mentor actually wants to be the mentor and will do their best during the process. It has also got to be considered that if a mentor is forced into the position they may well make the employee feel under pressure, feel they are a nuisance, not want to ask questions or feel like they are a burden and generally feel very negative and upset about the experience. This is a very negative side to this method of learning and ideally the mentor would be changed where possible, but in a smaller organisation, this may not always be possible. Reddy (2016) reinforced this danger in using mentoring as a learning method as there is a lot of potential for frustration to be developed from either party. For example, a mentor who is lacking in patients may get frustrated with the mentee if they are a slower learner. On the other hand, a mentee who is keen to learn quickly and get involved within the company, but may have a disinterested or preoccupied mentor may also hinder development as the mentee may feel they are being held back by their mentor. Both of these situations would not create an effective relationship and the mentorship may be not actually be effective and conducive to learning. Furthermore, the learning experience is only as good as the mentor providing the experience. If the mentor is motivated, knowledgeable and patient, the mentee will probably have a very positive experience and gain a lot of knowledge and confidence through this process. However, there is always going to be a danger that a mentor may not actually have up to date and accurate knowledge and this would be passed onto the employee who may also then develop incorrect and out of date methods. However, unarguable, if a mentoring programme is implemented correctly, it is a very positive learning method, but it does rely on having a competent mentor.

The second method of learning that will be analysed in Guided Learning. Guided learning generally refers to a learning programme where you do not have to actually attend the learning centre but you can study from home, usually through internet direction and activities. There are many advantages to this style of learning, for example, The Cambridge University Press (2020) gave the example that to study a MBA full time for one year using face to face methods can cost £30,000. However, studying via distance learning methods over three years can cost £16,795. This is a significant benefit to distance learning as it allows learning to be less ‘elitist’, making it more possible for people who want to learn to be more able to afford the tuition fees. The cost of the face to face methods may significantly decrease the number of those able to afford to learn in this manner.

The Scholarship Position Team (2014) suggested that distance education has many benefits that will help the wellbeing of the learner. This includes energy levels and time being increased and maintain significantly through distance learning. The learner will not have to worry about commuting to the centre, the worry of being punctual which can therefore decreasing anxiety and stress. This in itself is a significant benefit if it can actually increase an individual’s wellbeing during their learning and make the whole experience positive rather than unenjoyable. Another over riding positive related to distance learning is the flexibility it provides to the learner. This method allows the student to learn and gain qualifications in order to develop but with the flexibility of balancing a family, their job and generally a busy schedule. Being able to successfully manage many different elements of life alongside studying is a very useful life and professional skill to master which involved time management, internal motivation and the ability to prioritise. Skills that all lend themselves to a successful career. However, although distance learning may work extremely well for certain people, those who are not self-disciplined and driven to complete their studies without someone pushing them to do so, may find this method of learning extremely difficult. In these circumstances, face to face, classroom based study may be the better option if they find it difficult to stay motivated without assistance. In a similar, way certain learners may enjoy and benefit from physical interaction which class room based learning lends itself to, where they can gain social benefits from the tutor and their peers. Therefore, certain students who crave this interaction may experience even less motivation when trying to engage with distance learning as they feel too isolated. Nevertheless, class room based learning can be impossible for certain people and leave people who are willing to learn without an option to develop their skills. For example, certain areas may not cater for certain skill development, whereas distance learning allows anyone in the world to access learning. Therefore making it achievable for all socio economic backgrounds and localities to develop on an equal platform as those who can afford or live locally to an education facility. However, although there are clearly benefits to distance learning, there are just some skills that cannot be acquired by this type of method, for example practical base activities that require physically practising the skills. Furthermore, it is more difficult to practise social interactions via distance learning than it is in class room activities for those careers that rely on good communication skills.

In conclusion, both mentoring and distance learning can be extremely effective as a learning method, however, there is also limitations to their effectiveness. Mentoring is an excellent way to become fully engaged within an organisation and as long as they have a knowledgeable mentor, the learner can gain valuable experience and confidence from this technique. However, this largely depends on the quality of the mentor, a poor mentor can cause more damage by providing the mentee with a negative experience with little productivity. Nevertheless, this is a very good way to learn practical skills and fully understand a company which they are new to. In a similar way, distance learning can be a lot more inclusive and more attainable for those who cannot afford formal education or cannot access the facility. It is also an excellent way for individuals to learn and gain qualifications while they are working and balance a busy lift alongside studying. However, this method will not work for everyone as you do require to be self-motivated and be able to prioritise their life around studying. This will not be achievable for everyone as some people would need a lot of encouragement to achieve their goals through face to face tuition. Furthermore, depending on what is being learnt, this method may not be at all appropriate, for example in an industry where a practical skill is required, such as a nurse being able to take blood tests would not be considered competent by only engaging with distance learning. Therefore, methods of learning are effective but must be appropriate for the person involved and also the activity that is being learnt. If the method is an appropriate match to that person and skill, it can be hugely effective. However, if this is not an appropriate match, learning will be limited.

Zero tolerance policies usually include harsh disciplinary consequences, either long-term or permanent suspension/expulsion and often includes arrest or referral to juvenile/ adult court (N.A. Heitzeg, 2009). Within these types of cases, most students fall behind academically, which often leads to students dropping out of school. Students who have limited options either work full or part-time at a low-wage job, sell/do drugs, or they may have picked up a trade. Many students who are disproportionately impacted by zero tolerance policies are poor and minority youth and students with disabilities. In an article written by Kang-Brown J., Trone J., Fratello, J., & Daftary-Kapur, T, it says minority students are suspended four time more often than white students. Also, because boys are twice as likely as girls to receive these consequences, the percentage of black and Latino boys who are suspended or expelled is extremely large (2013). However, race is not the only aspect related to school suspension or expulsion. Students with learning disabilities are at a much higher risk than those who do not have disabilities. Those with disabilities are three-time more likely to receive an out-of-school suspension then those who do not have a disability.

There are multiple cases reported by The Justice Policy Institute (2009) and The Advancement Project (2005) that shouldn’t have resulted in such a harsh way and to name a few, there was a 17 y/o junior, he had shot a paperclip aiming and his peer, but he accidently hit a staff member. He was expelled from school. Another example is when a 12 y/o, who had hyperactive disorder told his classmates he would “get them” is they ate all the potatoes at lunch. This 12 y/o was suspended for 2 days and then referred to the police on “terroristic” charge. He was then incarcerated for two weeks waiting on trial (N. A. Heitzeg, 2009). Situations such as these disrupt the hallways, classrooms and the academic development of youth.

Academic Achievement and Support in Schools

The middle school years for most students can be a stressful and overwhelming time period. The transition from elementary to middle school can be challenging. Students may feel like they want to give up, but supportive and nurturing adults can often make the difference in the lives of students who may be facing challenges. Conversely, it can be detrimental when children do not have the support they need at school to promote positive academic outcomes.

Mentoring and Academic Achievement

In a study done by Lampley and Johnson (2010), they collected data from 54 students at Northeast Tennessee middle school. The students who participated were involved in a mentoring program, called LISTEN (Linking Individual Students to Educational Needs). In this study they analyzed the students’ GPA’s, discipline referrals and attendance rates and compared them to the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years. However, there was a requirement they had to meet in order to participate.

For the LISTEN mentee’s to be eligible for participation they had to either 1) fail one or more school years, 2) obtain 10 or more discipline referrals in one school year, or 3) have 10 or more unexcused absences in one year. This were demonstrated and defined as at-risk behaviors, Lampley, J. H., & Johnson, K. C. (2010). The ages ranged from 11-15 years. There were 35 boys that participated in the study, 21% were sixth graders, 42% were seventh graders and 37% eighth graders.

The way the study was analyzed is there GPA’s represented academic progress, absences reflected engagement and discipline referrals represented student conduct and was collected over a six-week grading period. At the end of the study and after all data was analyzed, GPA’s and discipline were finalized, and the results consisted of 51 of the 54 student’s GPA’s had risen from the school year of 2003-04 to the year 2004-05. Also, 51 of the 54 students had less discipline referrals at the end of the 2004-05 schools year compared to 2003-04 school year.

After reading this study, it seems as if mentoring has some effects on academic performance in school aged children. However, more research needs to be done to make a stronger connection.

School-based mentoring (SBM) is growing rapidly, SBM mentors normally build strong relationships with their mentee’s and each relationship grows at every meeting. Meetings typically happen after school and depending on the mentors schedule these meetings could last 3-4 hours throughout the week.

Most students who are mentored are between the ages of 9 and 16 at this stage in their life they begin to experience school-related challenges which make them vulnerable to academic, social and behavioral problems. An example would be entering fourth grade. “Grades 1 through 3, students learn to read; in fourth grade, students begin to read to learn” (Chall, 1983). Once a child has left third grade and their reading skills are poor, they most likely will experience ongoing learning problems. Also, around this stage of their life children begin to develop their own sense of competence and start to compare their accomplishment and failure to those of their peers (Herrera, Grossman, Kauh, & McMaken, 2011). A child who is experiencing learning challenges tends to feel inadequate in school and frequently disengages from school work, which results in academic failure.

Teens entering junior high school experience major changes in school structure and adult/peer relationship. These transitions are associated with furthering low self-confidence and academic engagement in multiply students (Eccles, 1989). The goal of most mentoring programs is to provide a key protective factor, a caring adult, to children to help ensure that the mentors can accommodate these developmental challenges. Children that are involved in secure, high-quality relationship are more independent and socially competent.

Multiple studies have been done to outline the effects of “traditional” community-based mentoring (CBM) that is implemented outside of the school context. However, very little research has been conducted to determine whether this major new variant of SBM is similarly able to contribute to youth’s positive development. Schools based mentors try to focus on a teacher’s attention on the youth and help realign the children’s attitudes toward teacher (Rhodes, Grossman, & Resch, 2000).

Introduction

Mentoring is a dynamic aspect of our daily lives. It is a partnership between a more experienced person (mentor) and a less experienced protégé (mentee). Definitions also revolutionize as time passes but the key element that describes and separates mentoring interaction from other forms of association is that it is an evolution of partnership rooted in the scope of careers toward improvement. (Ragins et.al. 2007). According to Ellinger (2019), studies conclude that mentoring outcomes are career growth and advancement, higher salary, job fulfillment, and deduction of employee turnover.

Food bakery businesses mushroom everywhere with the current trend in the food industry. The Food Report of 2019- Bread and bakery Products states that “The bread and bakery segment constitutes around 12% off, or one in eight US$ earned in the global Food market. The absolute revenue is forecasted to increase to US$545 billion in retail value by 2023”. The food industry is becoming one of the rising industries not only locally but also on the international scene. With this in mind, more and more bakeries intend to upgrade their shops thus hiring bakers with various backgrounds.

In a bakery, there are set standards, policies, and procedures to protect and maintain the production of quality goods. For that reason, new members need to undergo training and mentorship from experienced bakers.

The Sweet Shop Bakery has been operating for two decades and started with bread and pastry. Over the last years, the company expands to baking specialty and personalized cakes for the public. The increase in demand prompts the management to employ five more bakers with cake decorating backgrounds to cater to demands and make use of the newly refurbished kitchen. The hired personnel are certificate achievers with a year of on-the-job training. The most seasoned baker is assigned by the coordinator to mentor the group with the guidance of other staff.

The mentoring program

I. Analyse

The need to educate novice staff and transmit the knowledge from the mentors to be able to meet competitiveness and respond to market opportunities are the main purpose of the mentoring program in a bakery or any food sector. Most industries seek employees with qualifications as experienced bakers, which mainly are knowledgeable of the basic skills of a baker or pastry cook. In saying that, a mentoring program for an entrant will cover baking and decorating cakes and bread in line with the company’s quality of products within the specified timeframe. The precise quantity and quality such as taste and look should be met. The mentee will be able to deliver services confidently at the end of the mentoring course. In addition, the development of problem-solving skills whilst making goods is also a projected outcome. The mentor, on the other hand, is a senior baker who is in the service for a decade. A chef also supports and guides the participants along with the coordinator. The veteran baker is familiar with both the specific and unspoken workplace system of the business. A beginner may have confused by some of these rules because they are unwritten and special to an organization, and varies from one institution to another (Sutton 2011).

The resources involved in the mentoring program are already set up within the bakery. Since an expansion of the company added a kitchen with modern facilities such as ovens good to bake twenty cake layers at a time, ten mixers of different sizes, a wide table located at the center of the room enough to fit a couple of products and baking materials are arranged around the room. Essential ingredients are stocked up like flour, sugar, dairy, flavorings, leaveners, fats, spices, and decorating products. The company has allotted a percent of its expenditures to cater to the program which may include more sessions if it succeeds. Moreover, the company also invests in future training for the old staff so as to conform to the ever-changing industry needs and as part of becoming mentors, human or emotional resources for the protégés in the future. The Mentoring Capability Framework (2019) affirms that mentors also offer psychological and intellectual support to address the current and future stresses of the mentees.

It is essential to design how the program is to be measured and evaluated from the start to finish. Evaluation will involve a quality test of the production of goods during the session and timeframe which impact future output and revenue of the bakery. There will also be clientele satisfaction as the demands are targeted on time. In this modern society, positive feedbacks through social media encourage more customers and profit for the company.

II. Designing

The necessity to design a mentoring program for a new baker in a known company enables him/her to be aware of the in and outs of the institution. Also, the quality of the cakes and bread will be maintained under the guidance of the mentor.

More than one mentee method enables the company the chance to expand its mentoring activities and get in touch with more people in a time-efficient manner (thebalancecom 2019). Formal mentoring is beneficial to this program because according to research, it supports the psychological aspects of the mentee, which enhances socialization. This further creates a stronger commitment to the organization leading to retention. Moreover, it also shows effectiveness in meeting an organization’s defined goals (Ragins & Kram 2007).

The definition of the roles and responsibilities of the mentor and the mentee is necessary especially for a formal mentoring program. The mentor should: (a) Focus on the mentorship to avoid bumping the meeting out of the agenda with other commitments. The center of attention is the task of baking and decorating cakes. (b) Communicate actively to the learner and observe verbal and nonverbal cues. (c) Share mistakes, setbacks, and lessons because it encourages the mentee to relate to the past experience and improve. (d) Manage conflicts such as machine malfunctioning or personnel conflict. (Module 1: Roles and responsibilities of mentors and mentees 2019)

The mentee on the other hand should: (a) Enable the mentor to set the pace of the partnership at least at the beginning such as the timeline and content of activities even if knowledgeable. (b) Pay attention to the incentives, and restrictions, provided and uphold courtesy and respect because mentors know the in and outs of the company and knowhow of certain practices. (c) Be an active listener and discuss when appropriate and take notes, especially recipes and procedures.

The coordinator is important in this mentoring program because he or she is responsible for overlooking the session such as arranging the schedules of the mentor against the roster or the timing of the session on days or shifts that are not busy for the bakery. The coordinator also gives feedback to the managers on the efficiency of the set materials and equipment. Milestones are seen by the coordinator such as the competitiveness of a candidate to be able to work independently in the bakery.

A pilot scheme will assist in evaluating the interests of the audiences. Nonetheless, it is desirable to include important benchmarks and touchpoints to ensure that the partnership completes smoothly. It is ideal to do a dry run for a day to ensure the workability of the plan and the equipment. (How to Start a Mentoring Program 2015)

III. Implement

The implementation phase means running the mentoring program. This phase starts with profiling the participants: the mentor and mentee. The mentor qualities are: (1) Mentors are keen to cultivate the self. In the baking industry, the mentor is open to new ideas, especially from mentees with diverse backgrounds. (2) Mentors are skilled listeners. They are approachable hence mentees are not hesitant to raise inquiries whenever uncertain about the process or operation of equipment. (3) Mentors nurture those they mentor. They foster the skills of baking and knowledge that are cultured from them and enhance the mentee’s future well-being as a professional baker or chef (Murphy 2015). The mentee’s profile should include (1) Keen to learn and curious about processes to meet the institution’s goals which include conforming to established policies and rules in cake baking and decorating. (2) Enthusiastic to become a team participant. He or she is willing to work with each and every department of the bakery to achieve positive outcomes such as the front of the house and management. (3) Respectful to the mentor and colleagues taking into consideration gender and cultural background (Mentee Roles and Responsibilities).

Informing the participants such as the mentee should be an obligatory part of the entry to the company. The details of the mentoring program are included in their electronic mail of the company’s acknowledgment as hired personnel. The date, location, requirements, and attire for the session should all be written in the mail. Moreover, the mentors are instructed by the coordinator and management through team meetings.

The mentor training is to refresh and enhance skills and baking information to confidently apply and demonstrate to the learners. In addition, social skills and communication should also be given emphasis to enable transmit knowledge with ease and create a positive bond to develop not only baking but life capabilities.

The importance of orientation to a mentoring program for the mentee will allow a clear-cut definition of duties and obligations to reduce the likelihood of ambivalence (How to Build A Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice 2005). Induction to the mentoring program means the first interaction and touches the base of matching the mentor and the mentee. Many researchers claim that matching may or may not create misunderstanding therefore, matching is never ending process giving an opportunity to the participants to feedback and as much as possible able to settle differences to accomplish the common goal of the company.

The mentoring relationship commences and undergoes different phases. The preparation facilitates recognition of the expectations of the mentor and mentee. For example, smooth interaction and workability together and in the end independence in the occupation will be established. Negotiating is a discussion of the when what and how of attaining the purpose of the session among the members. The longest phase, enabling, is the ongoing development of skills and attainment of expectations. The demonstrations of practical and necessary skills are shown. The closure is the last phase which is the occasion to evaluate the processes of the partnership (Lecture notes)

IV. Improve

The program’s vital accomplishments rely on how well one can examine the efficacy, tackle any vulnerabilities, and illustrate that it meets the set targets and aims. Evaluations reflect the determination of effective practices, decrease occurrences of mistakes, and improve the overall growth of the business (How to Build a Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice 2005).

Kirkpatrick’s model for Summative Evaluation includes the first level as the mentee’s reaction which is evaluated through oral feedback or written surveys. The learning result is assessed through the return demonstration of the mentee and also the quality of the baked products. The third level which is behavior in the workplace will eventually be observed in the following months to notice the effects of the mentoring program. And lastly, the business impact is reflected by the overall positive impact of the bakery’s numbers production, and profits after the performance of the personnel who undergo the mentoring program.

The assessment of methods, resources, and process of learning is also important in this stage taking into consideration the effectiveness of finances, methods, and appropriateness of the program to the participants. Furthermore, at the end of every session, the provision of collective suggestions and improvements to further develop the mentoring program not only in the bakery business setting but in every situation as it becomes necessary.

Conclusion

Various research has shown how effective a mentoring program is in any aspect of daily living. However, each study also suggests further and more understanding and research regarding this matter. It is a dynamic and ever-changing activity that progresses and improves over time.

References

1. Ellinger, A, The Mentoring in Contexts: The Workplace and Educational Institutions Contexts and the Mentoring Research Phenomenon, viewed 15 October 2019.
2. How to Build A Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice A STEP-BY-STEP TOOL KIT FOR PROGRAM MANAGERS 2005, www.mentoring.org, MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, viewed 16 October 2019.
3. How To Start A Mentoring Program 2015, Art of Mentoring, viewed 16 October 2019.
4. https://www.facebook.com/thebalancecom (2019). Group Mentoring in Business Gives Employees Meaningful Ways to Connect. The Balance Careers viewed 16 October 2019.

Lecturer Notes

1. Mentee Roles and Responsibilities n.d., viewed 16 October 2019.
2. Murphy, T 2015, Qualifications of a Mentor: Four Crucial Skills for the Best of Mentors – Leadership Design Group, Leadership Design Group, viewed 16 October 2019.
3. Module 1: Roles and responsibilities of mentors and mentees 2019, Ontariotechu.ca, viewed 17 October 2019.
4. Ragins, BR & Kram, K 2007, The Handbook of Mentoring at Work: Theory, Research, and Practice, Google Books, viewed 16 October 2019.
5. Ragins, B, Kram, K & Roosevelt, -Eleanor n.d. 2007, The Roots and Meaning of Mentoring You must do the things you think you cannot do, viewed 14 October 2019.
6. Statista. (2019). Food Report 2019 – Bread & Bakery Products | Statista. viewed 15 October 2019, < https://www.statista.com/study/48830/food-report-bread-and-bakery-products/>.
7. The Victoria State Government (2019). MENTORING CAPABILITY FRAMEWORK. Department of Education and Training Melbourne, viewed 16 October 2019.

A. Executive Summary

This is the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Learning Strategy for 2019-2018. This is based on the skills assessment needs of Bake Sweets bakery to maintain the high-quality standards of the production of goods and enhancement the capabilities of the employees in the production line. The goal of the strategy is to uphold the competitiveness of the company through the appropriate knowledge and expertise of the team. Peer-to-peer learning is defined in the institution as the workforce educating each other (Albright 2018). Furthermore, according to Peer-to-peer Learning Can Help Employees Find Value (2019), advantages of this strategy would allow: (a) staff that are less frightened of the necessity to acquire skills when they can learn together with a peer, (b) encouragement to be independent, as well as improves cooperation and interaction between employees, which contributes to sustainable solutions and (c) workers to take more responsibility for their own professional improvement which in turn decrease the incidence of staff turnover.

Most often than that, the need for the Learning Strategy is dependent on the changing needs of society locally and internationally. The Cake and Pastry Manufacturing industry outlook for (2019-2024) states that “Players in the Cake and Pastry Manufacturing industry are anticipated to face challenging operating conditions over the next five years, due to increasing competitive pressures and changing food consumption trends. In response, operators will have to innovate new products and meet changing dietary and lifestyle trends. Health and nutritional concerns are anticipated to drive consumer choices, while trends in product convenience, durability and portability will also be important”. With that in mind, it is recommended that an approach will take place to the challenges the community poses. The peer-to-peer learning will tackle the : (a) daily routines of the bakery such as baking and decorating, (b) discuss the current trends of cakes and decorating but still include the classic and basic goods of the bakery, (c) marketing tactics to ensure the proper dissemination of information for the products offered.

The following plan will follow through with a suggested program for a peer-to-peer learning session to be able to attain a bakery that produces the best of quality cakes and pastries from scratch; and a working and learning area of skilled and capable bakers in the industry that honor the traditional and the trending needs of the society.

B. Management Structure

The mentoring strategy involves the company management: owner, production manager which is usually the chefs, coordinator, senior baker, and junior baker. The program will mainly focus on the production line of baking and decorating cakes and pastries from where the mentors are the most experienced such as the chefs and the senior bakers and the mentees are the junior bakers or novices.

I. Resources

The resources involved in the mentoring program are within the bakery. Modern facilities such as ovens that are good to bake twenty cake layers at a time, ten mixers of different sizes, a wide table located at the center of the room enough to fit a couple of products and baking materials are arranged around the room. Essential ingredients are included in the finance department budgeting that includes flour, sugar, dairy, flavorings, leaveners, fats, spices, decorating, and packaging products.

Moreover, the company also invests in future education as skills are essential to the attainment of goals. The senior staff is entitled to further training so as to conform to the ever-changing industry needs and as part of becoming mentors, human or emotional resources for the protégés in the future.

The Mentoring Capability Framework (2019) establishes that a considered resource is psychological support to the staff. Therefore, mentors also offer psychological and intellectual support to address the current and future stresses of the mentees.

II. Mode of Communication

The article Communicating with your Mentee emphasizes that communication should achieve three goals that are accomplishing set aims, expressing one’s emotions and feelings, and developing relationships. The communication of a mentor and a mentee should be active and interpersonal and attains the stated objectives.

More than one mentee method enables the company the chance to expand its mentoring activities and get in touch with more people in a time-efficient manner (thebalancecom 2019). Researches confirm that formal mentoring is beneficial to this program because it supports the psychological aspects of the mentee, which enhances socialization. This further creates a stronger commitment to the organization leading to retention that also shows effectiveness in meeting an organization’s defined goals (Ragins & Kram 2007).

C. Mentor and Mentee Selection Process

The selection process is crucial to the success of the program. Induction to the mentoring program means the first interaction and touch bases of matching the mentor and the mentee. One type of matching is Admin Matching. This allows the planning manager to build matches on part of the mentee wherein the company has defined particular participants and paired them to the needs of the program (Schnieders 2018).

Before the matching, the selection of mentor and mentee is important in the peer-to-peer mentoring program. The mentor should be a more knowledgeable baker in the bakery. He must have an idea of the ins and outs of the company even unspoken regulations so as to be able to impart the knowledge to the mentee. His or her qualities should include: (1) Mentors are keen to cultivate the self. In the baking industry, the mentor is open to new ideas, especially from mentees with diverse backgrounds. (2) Mentors are skilled listeners. They are approachable hence mentees are not hesitant to raise inquiries whenever uncertain about the process or operation of equipment. (3) Mentors nurture those they mentor. They foster the skills of baking and knowledge that are cultured from them and enhance the mentee’s future well-being as a professional baker or chef (Murphy 2015). The mentees are usually the novices of the company. Though experienced bakers but are new to the system. The exposure of the mentee to the current and trending styles of cakes and designing will enhance the company’s tactics for success. The mentee’s profile should include (1) Keen to learn and curious about processes to meet the institution’s goals which include conforming to established policies and rules in cake baking and decorating. (2) Enthusiastic to become a team participant. He or she is willing to work with each and every department of the bakery to achieve positive outcomes such as the front of the house and management. (3) Respectful to the mentor and colleagues taking into consideration gender and cultural background (Mentee Roles and Responsibilities).

D. Support Structures

The methods that will enable the competitiveness of the staff in an ever-evolving market should involve proper education. Continuous learning is appropriate to update the mentor on the trends and pass it on to the mentee.

The facility which is the bakery should also be assessed by the management to ensure the quality and the wear and tear of equipment. The presence of updated machinery such as mixer and ovens guarantee quality outcomes. In addition, the safety of the premises of the company should be at par with the standards internationally.

Other resources that are essential to the program are documents consisting of the application and agreements between mentor and mentee, the recipe books of the bakery, and its confidentiality among the employees. A mentee action plan should be utilized to identify tasks and allow mentoring aims are addressed. The mentee completes the plan with the mentor’s assistance (Robinson, 2014).

Another tool to be used in the program is the assessment and evaluation tool. Assessment tools for the mentor and the mentee include the roles and responsibilities of each participant to ensure it is met or not. On the other hand, this is also considered an evaluation tool. A leaflet will also be designed as a means to collect customers’ feedback. It is designed with faces from sad to smiling faces which the purchaser will tick.

A problem that arises in peer matching is miscommunication which may lead to more conflict rather than cooperation within the company. This is observed most especially among peers of different backgrounds. A person with the same culture will channel better communication reducing the risk of misunderstanding but on the other hand, diverse cultured mentors enhance adaptability. Therefore, a respectful quality between mentor and mentee whether within or outside each other’s cultural background would be helpful.

E. Action Plan

The initial step in a mentoring program is the company assessing the needs and goals to be achieved based on trends in the market and the bakery staff. This will depend on the reports of management and supervisors of the company. Skills enhancement is essential to enable competitiveness therefore initiating a mentoring program as it provides more evidence of effectiveness.

Peer matching to be a mentor and a mentee is a crucial implementation for a mentoring program. Therefore, the first step is the application of the participants, the mentor, and the mentee. The management’s role is to find and assess appropriate participants for the program depending on the position and needs of the employed people. After which, matching occurs which will solely depend on the administration as per the Admin Matching method.

The broadcasting of information to the involved individuals will be through electronic mail, bulletin board posts, and even one on one meetings from the management.

Training is to be conducted especially to the mentors, who are mainly senior bakers, to allow the company to review their knowledge and even correct it if necessary. The mentor training is to refresh and enhance skills and baking information to confidently apply and demonstrate to the learners. In addition, social skills and communication should also be given emphasis to enable transmit knowledge with ease and create a positive bond to develop not only baking but life capabilities.

An orientation exists to explain the expectations of the parties involved. Also, the plan of activities is introduced to become aware of the timeline of goals to be met. For example, decorating skills training from mentor and mentee commences in the first week and is expected to be evaluated in the fourth week. The plan contains baking refreshers of existing products, new recipes for production, new designs, and strategies, and also the use of new equipment if the production and financial capabilities of the company are able.

The mentoring relationship commences and undergoes different phases. After a month-long mentoring program, an initial evaluation should be done to ensure that the plan is going on smoothly. It assesses the appropriate matching of mentor and mentee, equipment and if the goals set are achievable. Flexible changes should occur if a problem arises. For example, change of timeline if budget allows, the need for more mentors and the equipment if needs changes. Monthly evaluation should be set and assess if set goals are able to be met.

F. Program Evaluation

Evaluation helps organizations to continue carrying out training programs and adjust or discontinue if not working effectively. Program evaluation refers to a structured data collection to respond to questions as to whether training goals have been met and/or whether the achievement of those goals has led to increased performance at work (Salas et al. 2012).

The critical accomplishments of the system are focused on how well one can analyze the success, fix any flaws, and demonstrate that it fulfills the goals and objectives set. Evaluations reflect the determination of effective practices, the reduction of error occurrences, and the improvement of overall business growth (How to Build a Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice 2005).

There are several ways evaluation is conducted. The mentoring relationship assessment can be done through simple questionnaires wherein mentors and mentees answer specific questions regarding their interaction. Another is written reports and interviews can also be utilized (Migrator 2012). In addition, the return demonstration of the mentee and judging through the quality of the baked products produced is also a form of appraisal.

Monthly reports of the bakery are also useful in the evaluation of the production and sales of the company. The coordinators and managers are also in charge of creating a written report for the program itself. Consumers also can give feedback through social media, or on-site comments through ticking faces on flyers distributed within the location.

G. Conclusion and Recommendations

The mentoring session along the way may or may not meet problems that can either terminate or continue the program. Different factors may occur such as poor matching, misappropriation of resources, and even the attitude of the participants. The firm participation of the management is important to give insight when these troubles come about.

Due to the rising demands of the consumers, the company may also consider an outside person who is not from the company to encourage and teach positive changes to be able to adapt to the trends. These matters may occur during the training of the mentors before the program commences.

At the end of the session, it is appropriate to provide collective suggestions and improvements to further develop the mentoring program of the bakery business. Various research has shown how effective a mentoring program is in many aspects of daily living. However, each study also suggests further and more understanding and research regarding this matter. It is a dynamic and ever-changing activity that progresses and improves over time.

Various approaches suggest different ways to implement a program however, every institution is unique. A technique is successful to one but not to the other. It may also be a matter of trial and error because nothing is perfect and ideal at one point or another.

References

1. Albright, D 2018, What Is Peer-to-Peer Learning?, viewed 6 November 2019,
2. COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR MENTEE n.d., viewed 7 November 2019,
3. How to Build A Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice A STEP-BY-STEP TOOL KIT FOR PROGRAM MANAGERS 2005, www.mentoring.org, MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, viewed 16 October 2019.
4. https://www.facebook.com/thebalancecom (2019). Group Mentoring in Business Gives Employees Meaningful Ways to Connect. The Balance Careers viewed 07 November 2019.
5. IBISWorld, I. (2014). Market Research Reports & Analysis | IBISWorld AU. Ibisworld.com.au. viewed 6 Nov. 2019 < https://www.ibisworld.com.au/industry-trends/market-research-reports/manufacturing/food-product/cake-pastry-manufacturing.html>.
6. Lecturer Notes: Salas, E, Tannenbaum, SI, Kraiger, K & Smith-Jentsch, KA 2012, ‘The Science of Training and Development in Organizations’, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 74–101.
7. Mentee Roles and Responsibilities n.d., viewed 16 October 2019.
8. Migrator 2012, Mentoring programs: monitoring, evaluating and reviewing, nibusinessinfo.co.uk, viewed 7 November 2019.
9. Murphy, T 2015, Qualifications of a Mentor: Four Crucial Skills for the Best of Mentors – Leadership Design Group, Leadership Design Group, viewed 07 November 2019.
10. ‌Peer-to-Peer Learning Can Help Employees Find Value 2019, Spark, viewed 6 November 2019.
11. ‌Ragins, BR & Kram, K 2007, The Handbook of Mentoring at Work: Theory, Research, and Practice, Google Books, viewed 07 November 2019.
12. Robinson, J n.d. 2014, MENTORING PROGRAM Guidance and Program Plan viewed 8 November 2019.
13. Schnieders, 2018, 4 Steps to Matching the Right Mentors and Mentees, Chronus, viewed 7 November 2019.
14. The Victoria State Government (2019). MENTORING CAPABILITY FRAMEWORK. Department of Education and Training Melbourne, viewed 7 November 2019.

Stereotypically, when considering how an individual can engage with CPD to enhance their knowledge, class room based learning would be what is thought about. However, there are now a number of ways for individuals to now engage with CPD due to the increasing use to technology and innovative ways to learn. There are a number of ways in which everyone can learn and develop their skills, whether this is for personal and professional reasons. This can include coaching, mentoring, workshops, distance learning, guided reading, secondments, on the job training and much more. However, there is always going to be advantages and limitations of all learning methods depending on factors such as the individual learning styles and levels of motivation, what is being learnt and how accurate the information being transferred is. The two learning methods that will be analysed is mentoring and distance learning. According to Manchester Metropolitan University (2019) mentoring encompasses the concept of an individual with specific knowledge helping people to develop their own skills. It is a relationship with the goal of building confidence and provide the opportunity to control their work place development. Manchester Metropolitan University (2019) further specified that mentoring is importantly different to training, teaching and coaching and the mentor does not have to have any specific qualification related to teaching or one that clarifies that they are a professional within their field.

There are many advantages to using mentoring within the workplace to aid an employee’s learning. A mentor needs to have the ability to listen to their protégée and ask relevant open ended questions to ensure that learning is taking place with a clear direction. One of the significant advantages of mentoring is that the person can learn while they are on the job. They do not need to necessarily engage with external training which can cost precious time and money and potentially may not be as relevant to the organisation as on the job training. According to Gaille (2016) mentoring in the workplace is extremely useful as it encourages consistency. Gaille (2016) clarified that a successful workplace requires to be consistent in order for the productivity to be predictable and manageable. This is particularly relevant when a new employee is integrated which can potentially be a cause of disruption as it can take a long time to have their skill level up to the necessary standard required for consistency. Therefore, in this respect, mentoring a new employee when used effectively can significantly shorted this time as the employee gains knowledge and experience to carry out their jobs as expected by following their mentors lead. Furthermore, Gaille (2016) suggested that companies have their own methods and jargon which may not make sense to new employees. A mentor who has been integrated into this system for a substantial time can work with the employee to explain the language that is being used so communication is not affected. Being a new employee can be a scary time, especially if they are not understanding the language and phrased being used. Therefore, the mentor can not only increase their efficiency they can also help improve their confidence and well-being. However, a mentor must be wary that they are mentoring in such a way that that they become dependent on their mentor. This in itself could cause problems further down the line as the protégée may well lose their ability to work independently and find it hard to function without the support and advice from their mentor. This could cause an increased strain on the mentor with the added pressure and also negatively affect company productivity with certain employee’s dependant on others.

A large part of mentoring is the ability to create a mutually beneficial relationship and mentoring can provide a very successful support network when used effectively, therefore the mentor’s ability to create strong relationships is crucial to this process. Reddy (2016) illustrated that it is vital for a mentor and their mentee can develop a mutual trusting relationship and must crease mutual goals which they both want to achieve during the mentoring period. In this respect, if they are not actually in sync with what they want to get out of this process, the whole point of this process must be questioned. Therefore, there are pros and cons to using mentoring as a way to develop within the workplace. If a mentor is able to develop a relationship where both parties feel appreciated and respected and able to both agree on goals this can be extremely useful to learning. The mentor can significantly help the mentor in their early stages and make their time within this programme an enjoyable, engaging and satisfying process. However, this is assuming that the chosen mentor actually wants to be the mentor and will do their best during the process. It has also got to be considered that if a mentor is forced into the position they may well make the employee feel under pressure, feel they are a nuisance, not want to ask questions or feel like they are a burden and generally feel very negative and upset about the experience. This is a very negative side to this method of learning and ideally the mentor would be changed where possible, but in a smaller organisation, this may not always be possible. Reddy (2016) reinforced this danger in using mentoring as a learning method as there is a lot of potential for frustration to be developed from either party. For example, a mentor who is lacking in patients may get frustrated with the mentee if they are a slower learner. On the other hand, a mentee who is keen to learn quickly and get involved within the company, but may have a disinterested or preoccupied mentor may also hinder development as the mentee may feel they are being held back by their mentor. Both of these situations would not create an effective relationship and the mentorship may be not actually be effective and conducive to learning. Furthermore, the learning experience is only as good as the mentor providing the experience. If the mentor is motivated, knowledgeable and patient, the mentee will probably have a very positive experience and gain a lot of knowledge and confidence through this process. However, there is always going to be a danger that a mentor may not actually have up to date and accurate knowledge and this would be passed onto the employee who may also then develop incorrect and out of date methods. However, unarguable, if a mentoring programme is implemented correctly, it is a very positive learning method, but it does rely on having a competent mentor.

The second method of learning that will be analysed in Guided Learning. Guided learning generally refers to a learning programme where you do not have to actually attend the learning centre but you can study from home, usually through internet direction and activities. There are many advantages to this style of learning, for example, The Cambridge University Press (2020) gave the example that to study a MBA full time for one year using face to face methods can cost £30,000. However, studying via distance learning methods over three years can cost £16,795. This is a significant benefit to distance learning as it allows learning to be less ‘elitist’, making it more possible for people who want to learn to be more able to afford the tuition fees. The cost of the face to face methods may significantly decrease the number of those able to afford to learn in this manner.

The Scholarship Position Team (2014) suggested that distance education has many benefits that will help the wellbeing of the learner. This includes energy levels and time being increased and maintain significantly through distance learning. The learner will not have to worry about commuting to the centre, the worry of being punctual which can therefore decreasing anxiety and stress. This in itself is a significant benefit if it can actually increase an individual’s wellbeing during their learning and make the whole experience positive rather than unenjoyable. Another over riding positive related to distance learning is the flexibility it provides to the learner. This method allows the student to learn and gain qualifications in order to develop but with the flexibility of balancing a family, their job and generally a busy schedule. Being able to successfully manage many different elements of life alongside studying is a very useful life and professional skill to master which involved time management, internal motivation and the ability to prioritise. Skills that all lend themselves to a successful career. However, although distance learning may work extremely well for certain people, those who are not self-disciplined and driven to complete their studies without someone pushing them to do so, may find this method of learning extremely difficult. In these circumstances, face to face, classroom based study may be the better option if they find it difficult to stay motivated without assistance. In a similar, way certain learners may enjoy and benefit from physical interaction which class room based learning lends itself to, where they can gain social benefits from the tutor and their peers. Therefore, certain students who crave this interaction may experience even less motivation when trying to engage with distance learning as they feel too isolated. Nevertheless, class room based learning can be impossible for certain people and leave people who are willing to learn without an option to develop their skills. For example, certain areas may not cater for certain skill development, whereas distance learning allows anyone in the world to access learning. Therefore making it achievable for all socio economic backgrounds and localities to develop on an equal platform as those who can afford or live locally to an education facility. However, although there are clearly benefits to distance learning, there are just some skills that cannot be acquired by this type of method, for example practical base activities that require physically practising the skills. Furthermore, it is more difficult to practise social interactions via distance learning than it is in class room activities for those careers that rely on good communication skills.

In conclusion, both mentoring and distance learning can be extremely effective as a learning method, however, there is also limitations to their effectiveness. Mentoring is an excellent way to become fully engaged within an organisation and as long as they have a knowledgeable mentor, the learner can gain valuable experience and confidence from this technique. However, this largely depends on the quality of the mentor, a poor mentor can cause more damage by providing the mentee with a negative experience with little productivity. Nevertheless, this is a very good way to learn practical skills and fully understand a company which they are new to. In a similar way, distance learning can be a lot more inclusive and more attainable for those who cannot afford formal education or cannot access the facility. It is also an excellent way for individuals to learn and gain qualifications while they are working and balance a busy lift alongside studying. However, this method will not work for everyone as you do require to be self-motivated and be able to prioritise their life around studying. This will not be achievable for everyone as some people would need a lot of encouragement to achieve their goals through face to face tuition. Furthermore, depending on what is being learnt, this method may not be at all appropriate, for example in an industry where a practical skill is required, such as a nurse being able to take blood tests would not be considered competent by only engaging with distance learning. Therefore, methods of learning are effective but must be appropriate for the person involved and also the activity that is being learnt. If the method is an appropriate match to that person and skill, it can be hugely effective. However, if this is not an appropriate match, learning will be limited.

Zero tolerance policies usually include harsh disciplinary consequences, either long-term or permanent suspension/expulsion and often includes arrest or referral to juvenile/ adult court (N.A. Heitzeg, 2009). Within these types of cases, most students fall behind academically, which often leads to students dropping out of school. Students who have limited options either work full or part-time at a low-wage job, sell/do drugs, or they may have picked up a trade. Many students who are disproportionately impacted by zero tolerance policies are poor and minority youth and students with disabilities. In an article written by Kang-Brown J., Trone J., Fratello, J., & Daftary-Kapur, T, it says minority students are suspended four time more often than white students. Also, because boys are twice as likely as girls to receive these consequences, the percentage of black and Latino boys who are suspended or expelled is extremely large (2013). However, race is not the only aspect related to school suspension or expulsion. Students with learning disabilities are at a much higher risk than those who do not have disabilities. Those with disabilities are three-time more likely to receive an out-of-school suspension then those who do not have a disability.

There are multiple cases reported by The Justice Policy Institute (2009) and The Advancement Project (2005) that shouldn’t have resulted in such a harsh way and to name a few, there was a 17 y/o junior, he had shot a paperclip aiming and his peer, but he accidently hit a staff member. He was expelled from school. Another example is when a 12 y/o, who had hyperactive disorder told his classmates he would “get them” is they ate all the potatoes at lunch. This 12 y/o was suspended for 2 days and then referred to the police on “terroristic” charge. He was then incarcerated for two weeks waiting on trial (N. A. Heitzeg, 2009). Situations such as these disrupt the hallways, classrooms and the academic development of youth.

Academic Achievement and Support in Schools

The middle school years for most students can be a stressful and overwhelming time period. The transition from elementary to middle school can be challenging. Students may feel like they want to give up, but supportive and nurturing adults can often make the difference in the lives of students who may be facing challenges. Conversely, it can be detrimental when children do not have the support they need at school to promote positive academic outcomes.

Mentoring and Academic Achievement

In a study done by Lampley and Johnson (2010), they collected data from 54 students at Northeast Tennessee middle school. The students who participated were involved in a mentoring program, called LISTEN (Linking Individual Students to Educational Needs). In this study they analyzed the students’ GPA’s, discipline referrals and attendance rates and compared them to the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years. However, there was a requirement they had to meet in order to participate.

For the LISTEN mentee’s to be eligible for participation they had to either 1) fail one or more school years, 2) obtain 10 or more discipline referrals in one school year, or 3) have 10 or more unexcused absences in one year. This were demonstrated and defined as at-risk behaviors, Lampley, J. H., & Johnson, K. C. (2010). The ages ranged from 11-15 years. There were 35 boys that participated in the study, 21% were sixth graders, 42% were seventh graders and 37% eighth graders.

The way the study was analyzed is there GPA’s represented academic progress, absences reflected engagement and discipline referrals represented student conduct and was collected over a six-week grading period. At the end of the study and after all data was analyzed, GPA’s and discipline were finalized, and the results consisted of 51 of the 54 student’s GPA’s had risen from the school year of 2003-04 to the year 2004-05. Also, 51 of the 54 students had less discipline referrals at the end of the 2004-05 schools year compared to 2003-04 school year.

After reading this study, it seems as if mentoring has some effects on academic performance in school aged children. However, more research needs to be done to make a stronger connection.

School-based mentoring (SBM) is growing rapidly, SBM mentors normally build strong relationships with their mentee’s and each relationship grows at every meeting. Meetings typically happen after school and depending on the mentors schedule these meetings could last 3-4 hours throughout the week.

Most students who are mentored are between the ages of 9 and 16 at this stage in their life they begin to experience school-related challenges which make them vulnerable to academic, social and behavioral problems. An example would be entering fourth grade. “Grades 1 through 3, students learn to read; in fourth grade, students begin to read to learn” (Chall, 1983). Once a child has left third grade and their reading skills are poor, they most likely will experience ongoing learning problems. Also, around this stage of their life children begin to develop their own sense of competence and start to compare their accomplishment and failure to those of their peers (Herrera, Grossman, Kauh, & McMaken, 2011). A child who is experiencing learning challenges tends to feel inadequate in school and frequently disengages from school work, which results in academic failure.

Teens entering junior high school experience major changes in school structure and adult/peer relationship. These transitions are associated with furthering low self-confidence and academic engagement in multiply students (Eccles, 1989). The goal of most mentoring programs is to provide a key protective factor, a caring adult, to children to help ensure that the mentors can accommodate these developmental challenges. Children that are involved in secure, high-quality relationship are more independent and socially competent.

Multiple studies have been done to outline the effects of “traditional” community-based mentoring (CBM) that is implemented outside of the school context. However, very little research has been conducted to determine whether this major new variant of SBM is similarly able to contribute to youth’s positive development. Schools based mentors try to focus on a teacher’s attention on the youth and help realign the children’s attitudes toward teacher (Rhodes, Grossman, & Resch, 2000).

Introduction

Mentoring is a dynamic aspect of our daily lives. It is a partnership between a more experienced person (mentor) and a less experienced protégé (mentee). Definitions also revolutionize as time passes but the key element that describes and separates mentoring interaction from other forms of association is that it is an evolution of partnership rooted in the scope of careers toward improvement. (Ragins et.al. 2007). According to Ellinger (2019), studies conclude that mentoring outcomes are career growth and advancement, higher salary, job fulfillment, and deduction of employee turnover.

Food bakery businesses mushroom everywhere with the current trend in the food industry. The Food Report of 2019- Bread and bakery Products states that “The bread and bakery segment constitutes around 12% off, or one in eight US$ earned in the global Food market. The absolute revenue is forecasted to increase to US$545 billion in retail value by 2023”. The food industry is becoming one of the rising industries not only locally but also on the international scene. With this in mind, more and more bakeries intend to upgrade their shops thus hiring bakers with various backgrounds.

In a bakery, there are set standards, policies, and procedures to protect and maintain the production of quality goods. For that reason, new members need to undergo training and mentorship from experienced bakers.

The Sweet Shop Bakery has been operating for two decades and started with bread and pastry. Over the last years, the company expands to baking specialty and personalized cakes for the public. The increase in demand prompts the management to employ five more bakers with cake decorating backgrounds to cater to demands and make use of the newly refurbished kitchen. The hired personnel are certificate achievers with a year of on-the-job training. The most seasoned baker is assigned by the coordinator to mentor the group with the guidance of other staff.

The mentoring program

I. Analyse

The need to educate novice staff and transmit the knowledge from the mentors to be able to meet competitiveness and respond to market opportunities are the main purpose of the mentoring program in a bakery or any food sector. Most industries seek employees with qualifications as experienced bakers, which mainly are knowledgeable of the basic skills of a baker or pastry cook. In saying that, a mentoring program for an entrant will cover baking and decorating cakes and bread in line with the company’s quality of products within the specified timeframe. The precise quantity and quality such as taste and look should be met. The mentee will be able to deliver services confidently at the end of the mentoring course. In addition, the development of problem-solving skills whilst making goods is also a projected outcome. The mentor, on the other hand, is a senior baker who is in the service for a decade. A chef also supports and guides the participants along with the coordinator. The veteran baker is familiar with both the specific and unspoken workplace system of the business. A beginner may have confused by some of these rules because they are unwritten and special to an organization, and varies from one institution to another (Sutton 2011).

The resources involved in the mentoring program are already set up within the bakery. Since an expansion of the company added a kitchen with modern facilities such as ovens good to bake twenty cake layers at a time, ten mixers of different sizes, a wide table located at the center of the room enough to fit a couple of products and baking materials are arranged around the room. Essential ingredients are stocked up like flour, sugar, dairy, flavorings, leaveners, fats, spices, and decorating products. The company has allotted a percent of its expenditures to cater to the program which may include more sessions if it succeeds. Moreover, the company also invests in future training for the old staff so as to conform to the ever-changing industry needs and as part of becoming mentors, human or emotional resources for the protégés in the future. The Mentoring Capability Framework (2019) affirms that mentors also offer psychological and intellectual support to address the current and future stresses of the mentees.

It is essential to design how the program is to be measured and evaluated from the start to finish. Evaluation will involve a quality test of the production of goods during the session and timeframe which impact future output and revenue of the bakery. There will also be clientele satisfaction as the demands are targeted on time. In this modern society, positive feedbacks through social media encourage more customers and profit for the company.

II. Designing

The necessity to design a mentoring program for a new baker in a known company enables him/her to be aware of the in and outs of the institution. Also, the quality of the cakes and bread will be maintained under the guidance of the mentor.

More than one mentee method enables the company the chance to expand its mentoring activities and get in touch with more people in a time-efficient manner (thebalancecom 2019). Formal mentoring is beneficial to this program because according to research, it supports the psychological aspects of the mentee, which enhances socialization. This further creates a stronger commitment to the organization leading to retention. Moreover, it also shows effectiveness in meeting an organization’s defined goals (Ragins & Kram 2007).

The definition of the roles and responsibilities of the mentor and the mentee is necessary especially for a formal mentoring program. The mentor should: (a) Focus on the mentorship to avoid bumping the meeting out of the agenda with other commitments. The center of attention is the task of baking and decorating cakes. (b) Communicate actively to the learner and observe verbal and nonverbal cues. (c) Share mistakes, setbacks, and lessons because it encourages the mentee to relate to the past experience and improve. (d) Manage conflicts such as machine malfunctioning or personnel conflict. (Module 1: Roles and responsibilities of mentors and mentees 2019)

The mentee on the other hand should: (a) Enable the mentor to set the pace of the partnership at least at the beginning such as the timeline and content of activities even if knowledgeable. (b) Pay attention to the incentives, and restrictions, provided and uphold courtesy and respect because mentors know the in and outs of the company and knowhow of certain practices. (c) Be an active listener and discuss when appropriate and take notes, especially recipes and procedures.

The coordinator is important in this mentoring program because he or she is responsible for overlooking the session such as arranging the schedules of the mentor against the roster or the timing of the session on days or shifts that are not busy for the bakery. The coordinator also gives feedback to the managers on the efficiency of the set materials and equipment. Milestones are seen by the coordinator such as the competitiveness of a candidate to be able to work independently in the bakery.

A pilot scheme will assist in evaluating the interests of the audiences. Nonetheless, it is desirable to include important benchmarks and touchpoints to ensure that the partnership completes smoothly. It is ideal to do a dry run for a day to ensure the workability of the plan and the equipment. (How to Start a Mentoring Program 2015)

III. Implement

The implementation phase means running the mentoring program. This phase starts with profiling the participants: the mentor and mentee. The mentor qualities are: (1) Mentors are keen to cultivate the self. In the baking industry, the mentor is open to new ideas, especially from mentees with diverse backgrounds. (2) Mentors are skilled listeners. They are approachable hence mentees are not hesitant to raise inquiries whenever uncertain about the process or operation of equipment. (3) Mentors nurture those they mentor. They foster the skills of baking and knowledge that are cultured from them and enhance the mentee’s future well-being as a professional baker or chef (Murphy 2015). The mentee’s profile should include (1) Keen to learn and curious about processes to meet the institution’s goals which include conforming to established policies and rules in cake baking and decorating. (2) Enthusiastic to become a team participant. He or she is willing to work with each and every department of the bakery to achieve positive outcomes such as the front of the house and management. (3) Respectful to the mentor and colleagues taking into consideration gender and cultural background (Mentee Roles and Responsibilities).

Informing the participants such as the mentee should be an obligatory part of the entry to the company. The details of the mentoring program are included in their electronic mail of the company’s acknowledgment as hired personnel. The date, location, requirements, and attire for the session should all be written in the mail. Moreover, the mentors are instructed by the coordinator and management through team meetings.

The mentor training is to refresh and enhance skills and baking information to confidently apply and demonstrate to the learners. In addition, social skills and communication should also be given emphasis to enable transmit knowledge with ease and create a positive bond to develop not only baking but life capabilities.

The importance of orientation to a mentoring program for the mentee will allow a clear-cut definition of duties and obligations to reduce the likelihood of ambivalence (How to Build A Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice 2005). Induction to the mentoring program means the first interaction and touches the base of matching the mentor and the mentee. Many researchers claim that matching may or may not create misunderstanding therefore, matching is never ending process giving an opportunity to the participants to feedback and as much as possible able to settle differences to accomplish the common goal of the company.

The mentoring relationship commences and undergoes different phases. The preparation facilitates recognition of the expectations of the mentor and mentee. For example, smooth interaction and workability together and in the end independence in the occupation will be established. Negotiating is a discussion of the when what and how of attaining the purpose of the session among the members. The longest phase, enabling, is the ongoing development of skills and attainment of expectations. The demonstrations of practical and necessary skills are shown. The closure is the last phase which is the occasion to evaluate the processes of the partnership (Lecture notes)

IV. Improve

The program’s vital accomplishments rely on how well one can examine the efficacy, tackle any vulnerabilities, and illustrate that it meets the set targets and aims. Evaluations reflect the determination of effective practices, decrease occurrences of mistakes, and improve the overall growth of the business (How to Build a Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice 2005).

Kirkpatrick’s model for Summative Evaluation includes the first level as the mentee’s reaction which is evaluated through oral feedback or written surveys. The learning result is assessed through the return demonstration of the mentee and also the quality of the baked products. The third level which is behavior in the workplace will eventually be observed in the following months to notice the effects of the mentoring program. And lastly, the business impact is reflected by the overall positive impact of the bakery’s numbers production, and profits after the performance of the personnel who undergo the mentoring program.

The assessment of methods, resources, and process of learning is also important in this stage taking into consideration the effectiveness of finances, methods, and appropriateness of the program to the participants. Furthermore, at the end of every session, the provision of collective suggestions and improvements to further develop the mentoring program not only in the bakery business setting but in every situation as it becomes necessary.

Conclusion

Various research has shown how effective a mentoring program is in any aspect of daily living. However, each study also suggests further and more understanding and research regarding this matter. It is a dynamic and ever-changing activity that progresses and improves over time.

References

1. Ellinger, A, The Mentoring in Contexts: The Workplace and Educational Institutions Contexts and the Mentoring Research Phenomenon, viewed 15 October 2019.
2. How to Build A Successful Mentoring Program Using the Elements of Effective Practice A STEP-BY-STEP TOOL KIT FOR PROGRAM MANAGERS 2005, www.mentoring.org, MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, viewed 16 October 2019.
3. How To Start A Mentoring Program 2015, Art of Mentoring, viewed 16 October 2019.
4. https://www.facebook.com/thebalancecom (2019). Group Mentoring in Business Gives Employees Meaningful Ways to Connect. The Balance Careers viewed 16 October 2019.

Lecturer Notes

1. Mentee Roles and Responsibilities n.d., viewed 16 October 2019.
2. Murphy, T 2015, Qualifications of a Mentor: Four Crucial Skills for the Best of Mentors – Leadership Design Group, Leadership Design Group, viewed 16 October 2019.
3. Module 1: Roles and responsibilities of mentors and mentees 2019, Ontariotechu.ca, viewed 17 October 2019.
4. Ragins, BR & Kram, K 2007, The Handbook of Mentoring at Work: Theory, Research, and Practice, Google Books, viewed 16 October 2019.
5. Ragins, B, Kram, K & Roosevelt, -Eleanor n.d. 2007, The Roots and Meaning of Mentoring You must do the things you think you cannot do, viewed 14 October 2019.
6. Statista. (2019). Food Report 2019 – Bread & Bakery Products | Statista. viewed 15 October 2019, < https://www.statista.com/study/48830/food-report-bread-and-bakery-products/>.
7. The Victoria State Government (2019). MENTORING CAPABILITY FRAMEWORK. Department of Education and Training Melbourne, viewed 16 October 2019.