IoD student mentoring programme marks 15 years of success

The IoD Student Mentoring programme at the University of Wolverhampton is celebrating 15 years of inspiring and supporting students towards the job of their dreams.

The programme matches final year business students with IoD directors working within disciplines they aspire to pursue as a career.

The focus is on employability and the core aspects discussed are CV enhancement, applying for graduate jobs and preparation for assessment centres and job interviews.

The mentoring is carried out during one-to-one meetings within the university or online, or at the mentor’s place of work.  Every two months, the scheme is complemented by events that bring all mentors and students together including a speed mentoring evening, a mock interview session and a final celebration gathering at the end of term.

The IoD Student Mentoring programme is an optional offer to all final year Business School students. Over 15 years it has helped more than 500 students towards their career aspirations. Leading the scheme is former IoD West Midlands regional director Dr John Phillips MBE and Dr Jenni Jones, Associate Professor in Coaching and Mentoring at the university’s Business School.

John retired in 2016 from paid work being awarded an Honorary Fellow of the IoD. In 2016, he was awarded an MBE for services to business, education and young people. In 2019, he was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Wolverhampton.

John, said.  “The student mentoring idea came to me when I was regional director for IoD in the West Midlands. We always took Erasmus students on placement during the summer.  They loved attending and helping us organise our local IoD events. This gave me the idea of approaching the University of Wolverhampton’s Business School to see if we could do more locally to help young people.

“We now have a large group of directors who partner one to one with final year business students. The scheme benefits both, us as mentors and our students.  We learn from Dr Jenni Jones’ experience through her training and support, and we are kept very much in touch with the current challenges faced by the young people.”

Recent students say:

“As a student, the IoD mentoring programme was beneficial to building my confidence and gaining important insights, skills and experience that I still carry with me in my role today at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce.”

Lauren Shepherd

“The IoD mentoring programme was an enriching experience. I would highly recommend the programme to future final year students as the opportunities it presents are truly limitless.”

Lucy Evans

The £10 Challenge

In the last three years, the strong partnership between the Business School and the IoD has developed to include a fun welcome week activity for new students.  Working in small groups the students are given £10 and challenged to create a business idea making money for a local charity.  They have just three days to complete the challenge with a IoD mentor supporting them with advice, guidance and inspiration.

The challenge raises money for the Good Shepherd charity in Wolverhampton which provides support to some of the most vulnerable and marginalised people in the community, and to date has raised more than £5,000.

At the end of the academic year, the IoD mentors and final year students gather for a celebration event, each receiving a certificate to mark their involvement in the mentoring programme.

The celebration events are held at local businesses to provide the students with further knowledge and inspiration for job opportunities in the West Midlands. Venues have included Jaguar Land Rover,  East End Foods and Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club.

Forty final year business students have signed up for this year’s IoD mentoring programme and will join the 15-year celebrations with alumni of the scheme.

Dr Jenni Jones said: “It has been such a pleasure to work with John and all the IoD mentors over the 15 years. This was John’s idea originally and when he pitched it to us, we couldn’t believe our luck. Such a gift for our students to have direct access to IoD members to inspire, support and develop them.

“Our pilot started with 12 pairs and now every year we have approximately 40 pairs. As a result of being inspired by their mentors, our students leave for fabulous career-related jobs they may never have applied for without the support of their mentors. We cannot thank the IoD enough for providing opportunities for our students to thrive.”

IoD West Midlands has four branches: Greater Birmingham; Black Country and Staffordshire; Worcester and the Marches; Coventry and Warwickshire. Each branch holds regular events to enable members to connect and exchange ideas, share knowledge and support each other.

Find out more about Mentoring – University of Wolverhampton at the University of Wolverhampton.