Search results

This research report discusses the Workplace Mentor Research and Development Project commissioned by Open Training Services (OTS) in 1995, looking at the project objectives, outcomes, methodology, the research process, and the actual findings. The report addresses the need for effective staff development models within the vocational education and training (VET) sector, and identifies the vital role played by workplace mentors in the supporting of learning. In particular, the project examined issues relating to the effectiveness of workplace mentors in supporting work-based professional development of TAFE teachers and workplace trainers. Some of the findings from the project, outlined in this research report, include: that to be successful, mentoring needs to be based on a plan which meets the needs of the protege, the mentor and the organisation; that organisational culture and structure will affect the shaping of the mentoring practice; that it is more productive for a learner to select their own mentor; and that mentor programs need to have a balance between structure and freedom.