Training Kicks Off for Business Mentors

The first four-day training course for business mentors has started at MMU Business School.

The business mentoring scheme is a joint initiative between the Centre for Enterprise at MMU Business School, the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), the Centre for Social Inclusion at MMU Cheshire and Bolton Business Ventures and offers free business mentor support to NES graduates for 12 months.

NES is the New Entrepreneur Scholarship programme for which MMUBS is the regional contractor, and is run through the Centre for Enterprise.

The new business mentor scheme is being launched in Lancashire and Greater Manchester and is funded through HEFCE’s Strategic Development Fund and aims to give mentor support to up to 100 NES scholars in the process of starting their own business for the crucial first 12 months of operation.

“The mentors have come from a variety of sectors and many have either started a business or been involved in business set-ups. The training is part of an accredited mentoring course and will cover how to give advice and guidance, share business knowledge and help entrepreneurs learn ‘how to learn’ from their experience of running a business,” explained Dominic Martinez, NES Projects Manager at MMU Business School.

Bolton Business Ventures (BBV) will provide some mentors for the new scheme. Mentoring will be delivered for 12 months at one-to-one counselling meetings of between 45 minutes to 2 hours, with the frequency of meetings determined through need. Usually, mentors will meet their clients face-to-face, but telephone or e-mail support can be given too.

To find out more or to volunteer to be a mentor, contact:

 Sally Bate, UCLAN on 01772 894768 or entscholarship@uclan.ac.uk
 Dominic Martinez, MMUBS on 0161 247 3954 or d.martinez@mmu.ac.uk