T Levels focus on vocational skills and can help students into skilled employment, higher study or apprenticeships. Each T Level includes an in-depth industry placement that lasts at least 45 days. Students get valuable experience in the workplace; employers get early sight of the new talent in their industry.
This occupation is found in the public, private and voluntary sectors in national and multinational organisations. The role of the learning and skills mentor can be found in all sectors where training and development is required. For example, but not limited to, healthcare, military, manufacturing, production, business and professional, education, leisure, construction, creative, technology.
The purpose of the learning and skills mentor occupation is to support individuals and groups with their learning and development towards agreed goals. They will do this by working within ethical and legal frameworks to ensure a high standard of mentoring practice. They will work collaboratively with stakeholders to inclusively meet the individual needs of the mentee. They will be committed to their own professional development and reflective practice as a mentor and within their sector.
They will typically work in an environment in their organisation where they are the knowledgeable other. They will work in a variety of locations and environments where mentoring activity may be undertaken face to face or remotely.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation may interact with other professionals at any level of seniority in the organisation and the sector, such as: supervisors, managers, trainees, other experienced practitioners and where necessary, internal/external professionals to support meeting the individual mentee needs.
The learning and skills mentor will be responsible for the mentor relationship with the mentee working within ethical and legal frameworks and organisational boundaries to support the progression of the mentee. They may work with a wide range of stakeholders to support the progression of the mentee and ensure best practice is developed and maintained. The mentor may be responsible for completing their own work to specification, with minimal supervision, ensuring they meet set deadlines.
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Duty 1 Plan, conduct and record mentoring activities to support the progression of the mentee working within legal and ethical frameworks, including confidentiality and safeguarding. |
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Duty 2 Use strategies to establish and maintain expectations and boundaries of mentoring contract, including recognising starting points of mentee, agreed development needs, potential barriers to development and where relevant, other stakeholders needs. |
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Duty 3 Select and use mentoring models, tools and techniques to support mentee to make desired changes, demonstrating responsiveness to the individual mentee needs. |
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Duty 4 Demonstrate awareness of own values, beliefs and behaviours and their effect on the mentor/mentee relationship. |
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Duty 5 Provide support to the mentee providing information, advice and guidance, working within own professional boundaries and recognising requirements for referral to other professional services where required. |
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Duty 6 Establish rigorous evaluation processes with mentee to support reflection on effectiveness of mentoring relationship. |
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Duty 7 Evaluate and reflect on effectiveness of own practice for the purpose of self-development. |
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Duty 8 Make sustainably informed decisions in approaches used to plan, conduct, record and evaluate mentoring practice. |
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Duty 9 Maintain records of mentoring practice and recording of continual professional development activities. |
K1: The roles and responsibilities of a mentor, understanding the organisational and professional boundaries, legal and ethical requirements, including safeguarding
Back to Duty
K2: How to establish and manage a mentoring contract
Back to Duty
K3: How to plan for mentoring sessions and review and revise action plans
Back to Duty
K4: Mentoring theory and models, including maintaining good practice and protocols within the mentoring relationship
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K5: Organisational and legal requirements for recording, storing and sharing personal information
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K6: Strategies to assess starting points of the mentee, including potential barriers to development
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K7: Methods of communication to maintain the mentoring relationship and review progress towards agreed outcomes
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K8: Questioning and listening techniques
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K9: Methods for providing feedback to inform progression
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K10: The impact of their own values, beliefs and behaviours on mentoring practice
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K11: How to provide accurate and relevant vocational/pastoral advice and guidance to meet mentee needs, including points of referral to other professional services
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K12: Theories and models of evaluation and reflection
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K13: Approaches to sustainable mentoring practice
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K14: Opportunities for continuing professional development
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K15: The role of supervision in supporting the mentor
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K16: Evidence-based practice informed by own research
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S1: Conduct sustainable mentoring practice within organisational and professional boundaries, and legal and ethical requirements, including safeguarding
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S2: Establish and maintain mentoring contracts with mentees and where relevant, other stakeholders
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S3: Conduct mentoring sessions according to agreed plans
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S4: Implement established mentoring tools and techniques to help the mentee work towards agreed outcomes
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S5: Maintain records of mentoring practice, complying with quality, confidentiality and data protection requirements
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S6: Establish and use assessed starting points to establish agreed outcomes of the mentoring process
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S7: Assess and review progress and achievement of agreed outcomes and revise action plans as appropriate
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S8: Maintain mentoring relationship through a non-judgemental and objective approach
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S9: Use questioning techniques to encourage reflection and progression
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S10: Provide feedback to the mentee to inform progression
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S11: Inform, advise and guide the mentee to support development toward agreed outcomes
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S12: Apply theories and models of evaluation and reflection to support mentee development
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S13: Monitor and reflect on own mentoring practice, including feedback from supervision, to develop self
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S14: Apply evidence based mentoring practice informed by own research
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B1: Demonstrate and promote sustainable practices with mentee
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B2: Work to ethical and legal standards within professional boundaries
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B3: Be resilient and adaptable when dealing with challenge and change, maintaining focus and self-control
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B4: Demonstrate and encourage mutual respect, displaying a deep understanding of equality and diversity, with and between learners, colleagues and appropriate agencies
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B5: Committed to improving their own professional practice in relation to mentoring
Back to Duty
Qualification type: T Level
Qualification level: 3
Awarding organisation: NCFE
Approval date: 01/04/2020
Available from: 01/09/2021
Occupational specialism: Supporting and mentoring students in educational settings
ST1379 Learning and skills mentor
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