At De Montfort University, within the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media, students seeking a year-long placement experience in the graduate workplace participate in peer mentoring during the placement search. This mentoring experience enhances the learning journey of individuals acting in the role of mentee and mentor, delivering benefits for the mentee and mentor (Hayman et al., 2022). Supporting and empowering placement searchers, mentoring presents an opportunity to learn from peers who have previously experienced the process, successfully securing an innovative placement year. Mentees engage with practical tips and advice, guidance and encouragement, whilst mentors develop leadership, mentoring and communication skills, enhancing reflection to further articulate their placement experience (Proctor, 2012).
This peer mentoring relationship is set within a code of conduct framework based on confidentiality, valuing each member of the partnership, courtesy, mutual trust and respect. Training and support is provided, and mentors are expected to maintain a clear professional relationship, not letting personal bias influence their actions.
The Faculty’s Placement Team engage collaboratively with students, in the spirit of co-creation. Each year the Placement Team recruit a student intern who is responsible for the running of the scheme, supervised and supported by a Placement Coordinator (a permanent staff member). The student intern manages the matching process, organises workshops, events, and check-ins. The role of the mentee and mentor are both self-selecting, each indicate to the Placement Team that they would be interested via an application form after an advert is circulated to students.
In 2022-2023, 20 students booked onto the mentee information session and seven students the mentor session, leading to 13 successful matches between 13 engaged student mentees and seven mentors. Three pairings met weekly, three monthly, and the remaining pair met every other month, meeting as best suited the needs of those involved. Reflecting on experiences, for 2023-2024, the Placement Team and student intern have set a minimum of one interaction per month (this could be a meeting, email, phone call etc.) to support the continuous development and impact of the mentoring arrangement.
Reflecting on the experience, mentees were positive about the useful advice from lived experience, the opportunities to explore creative problem solving, timely support and the encouragement received. Mentors reflected on the development of leadership attributes, mentoring and communication skills, and the examples this provides for future job/career applications. For both mentees and mentors, developing an effective working relationship with a peer enhances networking, communication and cooperation skills (Hudson, 2013).
The student intern develops leadership, management, and communication skills through developing and managing the scheme’s approach, one-to-one engagement with students and members of the Faculty Placement Team, and delivery of information sessions to groups of students.
The mentoring scheme positively impacts embracing the search for and securing a placement. Of the 13 mentees in 2022-2023, two successfully secured a placement, three other work experience opportunities, including part-time and summer internships, and two postgraduate mentees entered appropriate roles post-graduation.
To establish a student peer mentoring scheme, you need someone to manage the setting of expectations of the scheme, provide training and manage the pairing of relationships.
It is important to set the scheme within a code of conduct framework based on confidentiality, valuing each member of the partnership, mutual trust and respect.
Consider the impact on both mentee and mentor, both require support, time and encouragement, but both can and do benefit from participating.
Remember to explain how to articulate the benefits of engaging for both mentee and mentor, this is a useful skill development opportunity in itself.
Hayman, R., Wharton, K., Bruce-Martin, C., & Allin, L. (2022). Benefits and motives for peer mentoring in higher education: an exploration through the lens of cultural capital. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 30(2), 256-273. https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2022.2057098
Hudson, P. (2013). Mentoring as professional development: ‘growth for both’ mentor and mentee. Professional Development in Education, 39(5), 771-783. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2012.749415
Procter, C. (2012). Peer mentoring to secure student placements. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 2(2), 121-131. https://doi.org/10.1108/20423891211224603