What Is Mentoring?

Mentoring is a cooperative relationship between a more experienced technician and a less experienced (or new) technician, who wishes to become a more productive and valuable employee. The mentoring relationship is crucial to introducing trainees to an organization's culture and values, providing a career development path and forging a sense of belonging - factors all proven to drive retention.

A mentor's duties will vary based on organizational structure and program needs. In some cases, the mentor may be a supervisor or manager. This is not an optimal situation, but it may be necessary in some shops. In these cases, caution must be exercised to ensure a cooperative relationship is maintained between mentor and trainee.

A mentor is not a manager or supervisor,  Instead, a positive relationship must be formed between two individuals based on a mutual desire to achieve career goals and objectives. Ideally, it should be a non-reporting relationship that does not replace any organizational structures already in place.

The trainee must take responsibility for learning rather than just depending on the mentor. It is critically important for the trainee to understand the role of his or her mentor, just as it is for the mentor to understand the responsibilities of the trainee.