From e-mails to e-mentors

A ground-breaking way of mentoring through the Internet has been launched by the University of Teesside's School of Business and Management. The E-Mentoring Scheme, believed to be the first of its kind in the country, is aimed specifically at women working in the fields of Medicine and Civil Engineering.

The two professions are still dominated by men, (three years ago only 5 percent of surgeons were female and currently 6 to 10 percent of civil engineering personnel are women). The scheme, part of the Gateway to Achievement project, funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the NOW (New Opportunities for Women) initiative, was launched at the University in April 1998.

The scheme's mentors are matched to appropriate people being mentored, who need advice on issues such as career advancement and job interviews.

Hazel Lince, Project Leader for Gateway to Achievement, said: "Matching the mentor to the mentee is vital for the project's success, for example we can match up a single mother with a mentor who is also a single mother to give relevant advice. E-mentoring via the Internet has so many benefits over traditional systems. You can contact your mentor any time, any place and it's very cost effective and efficient.

"The beauty of the project is its potential for cross sector mentoring between medicine and civil engineering, as medical staff mentor civil engineering personnel and vice-versa. We hope to expand the scheme into other organisations, such as the Police force or local councils."

For more information on the Scheme call Hazel Lince on 01642 342872, fax 01642 342889, e-mail H.Lince@tees.ac.uk, or access the Web at Http://SBM.tees.ac.uk/GTA

---