Winning Edge The ISMM is backing Student-Mentor, a new initiative to help graduates and post-graduates to enter the workforce. Student-Mentor has been started by the Digital Ad Lab UK and is initially helping students of the London College of Communication (LCC) to enter the media industry with better knowledge. But it aims to go much further, establishing a framework and a funding model that can help any school, college or university set up a mentoring scheme at little direct cost. Collaborative software will provide videoconference, chat, diary and other tools for mentors and students – and reduce administration and costs. The initiative is being championed by business guru and media personality René Carayol. His support has included fronting a successful fundraising dinner in April, at which the ISMM was represented by its deputy chief executive, Ren Kapur. “Student-Mentor is about providing an infrastructure that can help young people from all backgrounds to develop self-esteem, vision and goals,” says Carayol. “The result is that business will benefit from confident, well-trained, industry-aware students emerging from education ready for the world of work.” If the LCC pilot – which starts in October – proves successful, the intention is to replicate the scheme framework and funding package to other colleges and universities. For more information, visit www.student-mentor.com ISMM NEWS The ISMM’s deputy chief executive, Ren Kapur, was a guest speaker at a recent conference of Italian entrepreneurs held in Venice, where she provided a UK perspective on the current global financial and economic turmoil. The conference covered the business environment facing Italian companies based in Veneto, a region in the north-east of Italy dominated by small, family-owned businesses. Kapur described the current crisis in the UK in the retail, automotive and other sectors – and the potential solutions, including the devaluation of Sterling to boost exports, historically low interest rates, fiscal stimulus and quantitative easing. Beyond economic policies, she turned to the issue of how to sell in tough times, urging her audience to “focus on your best customers and be a trusted adviser to them”. The aim, she said, should be to understand customer needs and to focus on delivering value to them – and this became a key theme of the conference. “Ren’s speech was extremely interesting for the audience,” says Antonella Grana of conference organiser AIDA, an ISMM certified education partner in Italy. “She gave the Italian entrepreneurs a different point of view on the downturn and how to deal with it. “She also stressed the importance of technological tools, such as CRM, and the need for professional training for salespeople,” says Grana. “The feedback we got from the delegates was excellent.” THE ITALIAN JOB Making more of mentoring The ISMM’s deputy chief executive, Ren Kapur, has been appointed as an ‘employer champion’ for the government’s 14-19 Diploma programme. Kapur says the 14-19 reforms are a welcome initiative to support young people and employers working together for the benefit of the UK economy. “The ISMM is firmly in favour of young people being empowered by experiential learning and I’m honoured to have been invited to help students and employers,” she says. “The Diploma shows effective collaboration between education and business and we are delighted to be part of it.” (See cover story on page 20). DIPLOMA CHAMPION Young at heart: René Carayol is a key supporter of mentoring When in Venice: Ren Kapur (centre) addresses Italian entrepreneurs

Making More Out of Mentoring

Download PDF Report

Upload
dominic-moule
View
213
Download
0

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

Mentoring article by René Carayol

Citation preview

! Winning Edge

The ISMM is backing Student-Mentor,a new initiative to help graduates andpost-graduates to enter the workforce.

Student-Mentor has been started bythe Digital Ad Lab UK and is initiallyhelping students of the LondonCollege of Communication (LCC) toenter the media industry with betterknowledge. But it aims to go muchfurther, establishing a framework anda funding model that can help anyschool, college or university set up amentoring scheme at little direct cost.

Collaborative software will providevideoconference, chat, diary and othertools for mentors and students – andreduce administration and costs.

The initiative is being championedby business guru and mediapersonality René Carayol. His support

has included fronting a successfulfundraising dinner in April, at whichthe ISMM was represented by itsdeputy chief executive, Ren Kapur.

“Student-Mentor is about providingan infrastructure that can help youngpeople from all backgrounds todevelop self-esteem, vision andgoals,” says Carayol. “The result isthat business will benefit fromconfident, well-trained, industry-awarestudents emerging from educationready for the world of work.”

If the LCC pilot – which starts inOctober – proves successful, theintention is to replicate the schemeframework and funding package toother colleges and universities.

For more information, visitwww.student-mentor.com

ISMM NEWS

The ISMM’s deputy chief executive, Ren Kapur, was a guest speaker at a recentconference of Italian entrepreneurs held in Venice, where she provided a UKperspective on the current global financial and economic turmoil.

The conference covered the business environment facing Italian companies based inVeneto, a region in the north-east of Italy dominated by small, family-ownedbusinesses. Kapur described the current crisis in the UK in the retail, automotive andother sectors – and the potential solutions, including the devaluation of Sterling toboost exports, historically low interest rates, fiscal stimulus and quantitative easing.

Beyond economic policies, she turned to the issue of how to sell in tough times,urging her audience to “focus on your best customers and be a trusted adviser tothem”. The aim, she said, should be to understand customer needs and to focus ondelivering value to them – and this became a key theme of the conference.

“Ren’s speech was extremely interesting for the audience,” says Antonella Grana ofconference organiser AIDA, anISMM certified educationpartner in Italy. “She gave theItalian entrepreneurs a differentpoint of view on the downturnand how to deal with it.

“She also stressed theimportance of technologicaltools, such as CRM, and theneed for professional trainingfor salespeople,” says Grana.“The feedback we got from thedelegates was excellent.”

THE ITALIAN JOB

Making more of mentoring

The ISMM’s deputy chiefexecutive, Ren Kapur, hasbeen appointed as an‘employer champion’ for thegovernment’s 14-19 Diplomaprogramme.

Kapur says the 14-19reforms are a welcomeinitiative to support youngpeople and employersworking together for thebenefit of the UK economy.

“The ISMM is firmly infavour of young people beingempowered by experientiallearning and I’m honoured tohave been invited to helpstudents and employers,”she says. “The Diplomashows effective collaborationbetween education andbusiness and we aredelighted to be part of it.” (See cover story on page 20).

DIPLOMACHAMPION

Young at heart:René Carayol isa key supporterof mentoring

When in Venice:Ren Kapur (centre)addresses Italianentrepreneurs