Bradford College Speed Mentoring

Last year the college worked with the WOW Girls Festival and provided speed mentoring by female mentors to female students. Given the positive impact that work had, we have decided to open up the opportunity to mentors and mentees from all backgrounds this year.

This year, we are looking to recruit mentors with all sorts of different expertise – from science to media, tech to sport, politics to art, freelancers to CEOs, or those who’ve had a complete career change.

During the session you will be partnered with a student mentee for a 15-minute seated conversation. After 15 minutes you’ll swap to a new mentee, having a total of four conversations during the event. Each mentee will be asked to bring a challenge or a series of topics that they would like to discuss with the mentors which will be used as a starting point. Rest assured; this is an informal chat!

This unique one-to-one experience is a worthwhile opportunity, to meet amazing young people of all different backgrounds and ages, who are looking to you to be inspired, uplifted and supported. You are invited as a mentor to talk about your experiences and choices, and how you got to where you are today, no previous experience is required. Your insight, experiences, advice, guidance and inspiration will be of great value to our mentees and we hope you’ll join us for this amazing day. If you are interested in taking part in this rewarding experience, you would need to be available on Friday 25 April 2025 9.30am – 12noon followed by lunch.

 Some information about being a mentor 

Speed mentoring is the process whereby one person helps another to find their own solution to any issue/challenge, or choices they need to make at college or in their career. The mentees will be asked to think about an issue/challenge and choices that they would like to address within the context of their own priorities and aspirations. The mentoring allows time to reflect on them, and to explore options or opportunities.

The aim of mentoring is to help the other person to: 

• Further develop skills and confidence
• Become clearer in their goals and empowered to pursue them
• Brainstorm ideas

Suggestions to encourage active listening 

• First quieten your own mind
• Allow the other person to work out their own solution
• Be non-judgemental
• Help them to brainstorm ideas, including ones which may be slightly “off the wall”
• Paraphrasing is useful to show you have been listening and have understood
• Give feedback that is factual, specific and accurate

Remember that you are not expected to be an expert in every field or to solve problems for the participants. Speed mentoring is less about offering solutions or making judgements and more about creating a time and space for the mentees to explore a problem and identify their own options.

Useful phrases 

• Outline the present situation: “What things could be better/clearer/different?”
• What’s a better situation: “How would you like things to be/what are you looking for?”
• Possible routes for getting there: “options/alternatives/consequences”
• Action Plan: “What will you do and when?”

If you are interested, please email  [email protected] with your full name, contact information – email address and number, organisation and job role. If you can also send a one-line blurb that would also be really useful. An example maybe – Alina is passionate about making a positive difference to young people in Bradford.  She has worked in roles promoting equality and inclusion for the last 20 years and will continue to challenge all forms of injustice.