Mentoring is a one-to-one relationship. As a mentor, you’re interested in your student as an individual. That means observing them respond to events, getting to know what works for them, and targeting your support where it makes the biggest difference.
Make the most of learning
—
Deal with difficulties
—
Be part of the workplace community
—
Get what they need from the experience
People think, feel and act in their own ways. When you get on someone else’s wavelength, you start to recognise these ways. You may see them as differences, small or large, from your own ways. You might want to understand more about them, because they’re interesting.
One of the rewards of being a mentor is that it gives you the chance to explore the ways in which your student acts, feels, thinks – and learns.
It’s obvious that people learn in different ways. Looking at these differences has led to the idea that there are different types of learning style: visual, auditory, activist, reflector, etc. In fact, there is little evidence that these pre-determined types exist or are useful. They may even be harmful, if people restrict their ways of learning as a result.
Everyone learns in their own ways – they have their own style. But it’s not a type, and it’s not fixed. Fortunately, people are more interesting than that, more imaginative and resourceful. They try all sorts of things out when they’re learning, consciously and unconsciously.
It’s your job as a mentor to be alert to your student, including the ways in which they go about learning. Students on industry placements are exposed to many new experiences. This may be their first experience of the workplace, or they may have a part-time job or have had other encounters with employers as part of their education.
Keep an open mind about how they absorb and assimilate these stimuli. They might want to do something first and think about it later – another time the preference may be to do some reading first, then try it out.
Help them not to get bogged down, stuck or discouraged. Make learning as interesting for them as it can be.
How can you try to make learning interesting for your student?
I was told at the start of my placement the beginning that working here requires responsibility for your work as nothing is going to be handed to you on plate, but you can make huge strides in the development of your career, so long as you are willing to put in the effort
Student on an engineering placement
Learning is for everyone, and everyone’s a great learner. It’s not always the same for everyone though.
Students may have specific learning difficulties, whether they be intellectual, physical, emotional or social. It’s quite likely that most people have some of these difficulties, some of the time. But they can be more prominent for some people than others. When this is the case, students may be said to have a ‘special need’, a ‘learning difficulty’ or a ‘learning disability’.
These are unhelpful phrases if they’re attached like a label. It’s best to avoid using them too often. But there’s something behind the phrases which it’s important to recognise. For example, there will be an effect on learning if someone has a visual impairment. It shouldn’t prevent them from learning, but it needs to be recognised as part of who that individual is and dealt with properly and openly.
The RNIB puts it very clearly in relation to visual impairment: ‘professionals can help reduce barriers to learning by focusing on individual needs, providing accessible resources, enhancing communication skills, and making adjustments to the physical and sensory environment’. Adjustments could include special equipment, access to specific ICT programmes, consideration of working hours, supported travel arrangements, etc.
So as a mentor you can recognise the difficulties students may have, understand what it’s like to have these difficulties and make any adjustments which will help the student to learn effectively.
Mentoring has been good for me, because my mentor is not related to me or a friend – she is neutral but understands what it is like to grow up with a visual impairment
Student on a placement in child psychology
As a mentor you’re one of the ‘professionals’ the RNIB talks about. So are the other people responsible for students’ learning and with a duty of care to them as individuals. How could your college, school or other provider help?
Adjustments may be needed for some students to work and learn effectively. Other people may need to adjust their attitudes too, in order to give every single student the same opportunity to be part of a workplace community.
Organisations offering industry placements may feel nervous about expectations, requirements and the unknown. This may lead to them being over-cautious and unconfident in their approach. Being able to bring a broader view into the conversation without embarrassment is an additional responsibility for mentors.
Some organisations, especially large ones, may have a human resources department with established policies for recruiting people with these types of needs, but smaller organisations may need to get external support or do some further research into available guidance.
For example, the organisation may not know how to support autistic people and be worried about how to get the best out of having an autistic student on a placement. As the National Autistic Society says, autistic people ‘have strengths which can benefit a range of businesses and industries. This could be accuracy, tenacity and the ability to see things in a different light which can be great for problem solving.’
Taking this approach enables the organisation to welcome students with different abilities rather than seeing them as someone with a disability.
It’s also a great pointer for you as mentor to:
My mentor gives me a safe way to practice social interaction without fear of the consequences of saying something wrong that you would have with work colleagues … having a safe place to find what works and what doesn’t through personal experience is very important
It reminded me to make progress towards goals. My mentor listened when I needed it, was a regular weekly marker in my chaotic life, provided an opportunity to reflect and plan and self manage. I wouldn't have done this otherwise
Students with autism, reflecting on their experiences of being mentored
This starts at the beginning. It’s good for students to have a mentor with experience in at least some areas of work (and personal life) which match their placement goals. Experience is more important than age, and there shouldn’t be too big a gap in terms of seniority. The student and mentor should both have a say in the match. If they can identify similar values, it helps the rapid development of trust and rapport.
Students ought to know what they want to get from their placement. Skills, knowledge and experience in a job which links to their ideas about a career should be at the top of the list. Go over them with your student early on and keep coming back to them during the placement. Expect some changes – after all, the experience of work could well lead the student to think again. Your student may have personal as well as career-related goals.
Whatever their goals, students who take charge of their own learning are in the best place to make sure the placement experience is valuable.
“I take my reflection log with me to do in my lunch break and I make a separate spread sheet for my progress log. I also do my own reading and research about the cases that come in. I have found this useful, as subjects will often overlap and so this helps when learning something completely new”
Student on a veterinary nursing placement
When this happens, your job as a mentor subtly changes. You may still be a motivator, a sounding board and a backstop, but you’ve also become an accelerator of someone else’s learning and growth.
“My mentor gave me the confidence and courage to follow my dreams. He always made time for me whenever I needed to talk and left me inspired and motivated”
Student on a placement in a legal firm
What would you encourage a student to do, to take charge of their own learning during the placement?
Make the most of learning
—
Deal with difficulties
—
Be part of the workplace community
—
Get what they need from the experience
T-level employer support package:
Induction checklist
—
Supporting industry placement students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
You will need to create a login to work through the resources on this site. This will allow you to pick up your progress right from where you left off, and to keep track of your actions. Your details will be stored securely in accordance with our privacy policy.
By creating a log in you will be able to pick up your progress right from where you left off. All you need to enter is your email address (for password retrievement) and a chosen password. We promise to never pass on any of your details.
You can reset your password by entering your email address below, you will receive an email containing instructions on what to do next.
To reset your password, please enter a new password below.
