Mentoring: the contextualisation of learning - mentor, protégé and organisational gain in higher education

This article considers the benefits for students, industry mentors and organisations of a trial mentoring project completed by the School of Service Management at the University of Brighton. The Savoy Educational Trust Mentorship Programme, a concept developed through discussions between academic staff and the School's industry advisors, effectively matched students (protégés) with professionals from industry (mentors) for a period of one academic year. Once matched, the relationship between the student protégé and their mentor was allowed to develop and follow its own natural course. The research concludes that such a relationship can offer significant rewards for the student through the contextualisation of their learning and also through personal development. Mentors also gained significant personal satisfaction, with their employer organisations gaining access to vocationally aware graduates.