Mentoring programme for entrepreneurs announced by Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Investment and Development Agency of Latvia in co-operation with association LIDERE has announced the application for the participation in mentoring programme for entrepreneurs. In the framework of programme young entrepreneurs will be able to receive advice and support from mentors – experienced entrepreneurs.
The aim of the programme is to foster the development of entrepreneurship in Latvia.
Mentoring in entrepreneurship is systematically built relationships based on long-term and voluntary support from the successful entrepreneurs with experience, who share their knowledge, experience and beliefs to new entrepreneurs who are ready and willing to gain experience from these exchanges and enhance their competence.
Organizers expected application from:
- Mentees - new companies (not older than 5 years).
- Mentors - experienced entrepreneurs (at least 5 years experience in business).
Applying for the participation in the programme ended in December 23, 2011.
Selection interviews of mentees’ candidates took place from December 28 to January 13, 2012.
Mentoring programme for entrepreneurs will take place from February to June, 2012.
Informative workshops before commencement of the programme took place:
- December 8, 2011, in Riga, the hotel Tallink, from 10:00 to 13:00
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- December 14, 2011, in Valmiera, Valmiera Business Incubator, from 12:00 to 15:00
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The opening event of Mentoring programme for entrepreneurs, 2012 organised by Investment and Development Agency of Latvia in co-operation with association LIDERE took place on January 30, 2012, in Riga, Hotel "Radi un Draugi", from 9:30 to 14:00.
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First Competence Improvement Workshop for the participants of Mentoring Programme took place on March 15, 2012, in Riga, School of Business Administration Turiba, from 10:00 to 16:00.
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Second Competence Improvement Workshop for the participants of Mentoring Programme took place on April 24, 2012, in Riga, School of Business Administration Turiba, from 10:00 to 16:00.
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Third Competence Improvement Workshop for the participants of Mentoring Programme took place on May 24, 2012, in Riga, School of Business Administration Turiba, from 10:00 to 14:00.
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The closing event of Mentoring programme for entrepreneurs, 2012 organised by Investment and Development Agency of Latvia in co-operation with association LIDERE took place on June 15, 2012, in Riga, HOTEL BERGS, from 10:00 to 14:00.
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Mentoring programme for entrepreneurs is being implemented in the framework of "Motivation Programme for Innovative Entrepreneurship" realized by Investment and Development Agency of Latvia and funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the European Union.
WHAT IS MENTORING?
The word mentoring is derived from the name Mentor in Greek Mythology. Mentor was an old wiseman, to whom Odysseus entrusted the education and development of his son Telemachus in Homer's epos The Odyssey.
WHAT IS MENTORING NOWADAYS?
1. Mentoring is a long term relationship that meets a development need, helps develop full potential, and benefits all partners, mentor, mentee and the organisation. - Suzanne Faure
2. Mentoring is a mutual relationship with an intentional agenda designed to convey specific content along with life wisdom from one individual to another. Mentoring does not happen by accident, nor do its benefits come quickly. It is relationally based. - Thomas Addington and Stephen Graves
3. Mentoring is a supportive learning relationship betwen a caring individual who shares knowledge, experience and wisdom with another individual who is ready and willing to beneft from this exchange, to enrich their professional journey. - Suzanne Faure
4. Mentoring involves primarily listening with empathy, sharing experience (usually mutually), professional friendship, developing insight through reflection, being a sounding board, encouraging. - David Clutterbuck
5. Mentoring is a one-to-one, non-judgemental relationship in which an individual voluntarily gives time to support and encourage another. This is typically developed at a time of transition in the mentee's life and lasts for a significant and sustained period of time. - Active Community Unit
6. Mentoring requires a thorough penetration by a mentor in the mentee's problems and the discussed themes. However, the mentor doesn't provide solutions directly, but points to the right way.
7. Mentoring in NGOs - the goal is to enrich experience of the involved individuals, develop their abilities, as well as deepen their professional skills and give them a wider view on the external environment.
TYPES OF MENTORING
The perception of mentoring can vary; thus, several types of mentoring can be distinguished:
- mentoring in entrepreneurship – experienced businessperson shares his/her knowledge with a young entrepreneur or a person who would like to start his/her business. Association “Lidere” provides Mentoring program for entrepreneurs in Latvia.
- career mentoring - a high level professional or an experienced entrepreneur helps a perspective young careerist or a young entrepreneur to develop his/her career or business. This type of mentoring is popular in the USA and Europe;
- mentoring in enterprises / education - the older/more experienced employees of the enterprise help their younger colleagues. This is also a type of work education. In Sweden, enterprises engage the pensioned employees in giving advise and sharing experience; thus, encouraging the participation of pensioners and making them feel needed. This type of mentoring is popular in Scandinavian countries;
- mentoring in NGOs - on a voluntary basis, participants share their experience with the members of their own as well as other organisations, and help other interested persons from various fields; thus, encouraging the development of professional skills and life experience. This type of mentoring is popular in Europe;
- adults and children mentoring - adults voluntarily help children and, in a way, act like a godfather/godmother. This type of mentoring is popular in the United States of America (organisation Save the Children in the USA).
THE PREVALENCE OF MENTORING
The roots of mentoring are found to be older in the USA than in Europe. In Europe, the popularity of mentoring has increased during the last 20-25 years. Mentoring is most widespread among women. The interest about learning and development in the voluntary sector of EU has evidently increased after publications in 1998 - European Comission, the White Book about The Encouragement of the Role of Voluntary Organisations and Foundations in Europe. This publication anticipates an increase of the importance of the role of voluntary organisations through increasing their contribution to European integration. In Europe, such organisations have developed in the last 20 years (45% of the current organisations were established after 1981).
Despite the fact that mentoring has become very popular, there has been no united reseach about it, nor a systematic review of the mentoring practice. Most of the publications about mentoring have been in the USA and the UK.
MENTORING PROGRAMMES FOR ENTREPRENEURS (MPE), organised by association "LIDERE" in Latvia
Association Lidere in co-operation with Women’s Enterprise Agency (Finland) and with the support of Ministry of Economics of Latvia started first Mentoring programme for entrepreneurs in Latvia at the beginning of 2005.
Several programmes have been closed from 2005 to 2012:
- 1st MPE
- 2nd MPE
- 3rd MPE
- MPE in the framework of EQUAL project
- 2007/1st MPE
- 2007/2nd MPE
- 2008/1st MPE
- 2008/2nd MPE
- 2009/1st MPE
- 2009/2nd MPE
- 2010/st MPE
- 2010/nd MPE
- 2011 MPE
- 2012 MPE announced by Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Several programmes have been carried on right now:
- 2012/2013 MPE announced by Investment and Development Agency of Latvia
Total number of programmes - 15 MPE
483 participants have participated in the MPE's from 2005 to 2012:
- 222 mentors (173 women, 49 men)
- 261 mentees (190 women, 71 men)
Statistics on companies of mentees:
- have company - 98
- do not have company - 32
- has sold shares of enterprise - 2
- has suspended economic activity of enterprise - 8
- 25 new companies have been established during MPE's during 2005-2012
What is Mentoring program for entrepreneurs?
Mentoring program for entrepreneurs is free of charge. There are no more that 10-12 pairs in one program and the program lasts for 12 month. In the framework of the program experienced entrepreneurs (mentors) share their experience with young entrepreneurs (mentees).
The aim of the program is to support newly started entrepreneurs and those who would like to start their business in the cities and regions of Latvia; support development of new enterprises and work places; provide with the possibility to get information and consultations.
The objectives of the program:
- Identify 12 pairs of mentors and mentees;
- Carry out Start-up, Midterm and Closing seminars;
- Carry out competence developing seminars;
- Carry out mentoring program in the framework of one year;
- Provide with the support mentoring pairs during the program;
- Evaluate the process and the results of the mentoring program;
- Adopt program for the next mentoring program in Latvia.
Program results:
- Development of new enterprises;
- Development of current enterprises, development of quality of the business processes;
- Enchaining entrepreneurs to new businesses;
- Development of new workplaces;
- Preventing closing of businesses;
- Development of independent mentoring system in Latvia.
RESEARCH “EVALUATION OF MENTORING”
The society “Lîdere” in collaboration with a market and social researches centre “Latvijas Fakti” executed a research, whose goals were to clarify:
(1) the advantages and disadvantages of mentoring movement in the point of view of mentors and mentees;
(2) mentors’ characterization viewed by mentees and mentees’ characterization viewed by mentors;
(3) mentors’ and mentees’ personal qualities, which either encourage or impede cooperation;
(4) mentors’ and mentees’ adequacy to the model of an “ideal mentor” and an “ideal mentee”. 10 mentors and 10 mentees were inquired during the research.
With a research you can get acquainted here.
1 BALTIC MENTORS CONFERENCE
In October 4 was held 1st Baltic Mentors conference in Riga where took part participants from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Austria and U.S. About the conference you can read here.
MANY FACES OF MENTORING
Association “Lidere” in co-operation with the publishing-house “Lietiskas informacijas dienests” has published the book “Many Faces of Mentoring” in Latvian and Russian by Tuulikki Juusela, Tuula Lillia, Jari Rinne.
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