MD Mentoring Programme

Manchester Digital Mentoring Programme

The Manchester Digital Mentoring Programme is a 3-year programme starting in February 2010 offering opportunities for senior staff in smaller digital businesses to benefit from mentoring or offer themselves as mentors to others.

It is funded by the NWDA as part of a £4.9m Mentoring Programme for SME’s across the North West of England. The Manchester Digital programme is organised by the Urquhart Partnership who have been appointed by the NWDA.

Mentoring provides a valuable opportunity for those running an SME business to share their ideas, challenges and concerns with an experienced business person. It is a proven way of developing your own personal skills and therefore improving the performance of your business. The programme is free of charge and relationships are expected to last between 6 and 12 months. Each mentee is matched with a Mentor based on their individual needs and circumstances and therefore could select a Mentor from outside the sector if that would be more beneficial.

To qualify to receive mentoring, applicants must be at a senior level within a business that turns over less than £2m and has been trading for at least one year.

Mentors operate on a volunteer basis and are chosen on the basis of having significant business experience that they can share. Each Mentor will receive both initial and ongoing training and is able to specify the amount of time that they are able to offer to the programme. Mentors are matched by assessing their areas of strength and experience against the needs of those being mentored and, if preferred, a Mentor could choose to Mentor outside of the Creative and Digital sector.

Being a Mentor offers the individual the chance to significantly enhance and develop a range of interpersonal skills, provides a rewarding challenge and can also provide a completely different perspective on your own business. Our Mentor sessions also provide valuable networking time with a group of similar-minded people and are a great way to make new contacts.

Induction sessions for those being Mentored (Clients) and Mentors will take place as follows;

Client Inductions

• Wed 3rd March 2010, 9.30 am - 12.30 pm
• Wed 3rd March 2010, 2 pm - 5 pm (dedicated Creative and Digital workshop)

Mentor Inductions

• Wed 24th February 2010, 10 am - 2 pm (inc. of lunch)
• Fri 5th March 2010, 10 am - 2 pm (inc. of lunch)

For more information about the programme and to book a place on one of the inductions, please call Paul or Rebecca on 0161 237 3553 or email mentoring@upwebsite.com

For further information about The Mentoring and the wider NWDA Programme, please click here