Mentoring Programme Design Training Course

Mentoring Programme Design is a 1-week training course for talent managers, L&D specialists and mentoring scheme coordinators who set up and run structured mentoring across an organisation, and it ends with a mentoring scheme blueprint. Organisations now rely on mentoring to pass tacit knowledge from retiring experts, accelerate new leaders and support under-represented talent. Jupiter Prime Training runs this course on mentoring programme design.

Why Mentoring Programme Design Matters Now

Three pressures make mentoring a design question rather than an informal favour: experienced specialists approaching retirement whose know-how is undocumented, younger employees who expect regular access to senior guidance, and leaders who want measurable progress on inclusion and succession. A well-designed scheme matches pairs deliberately, prepares mentors and tracks outcomes. A loosely run one produces pairs that meet twice and drift apart, leaving sponsors doubtful about mentoring itself. The course draws on the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) Competence Framework for mentor capability and ISO 30422:2022 for learning and development processes.

Who Gains Most from Mentoring Programme Design

• Talent managers who link mentoring to succession pools and high-potential tracks
• L&D specialists who design mentor preparation and mentee guidance materials
• Scheme coordinators who run recruitment, matching, check-ins and closure
• Inclusion and early-careers leads who use mentoring to widen access to senior networks

A talent function gains most when its talent manager, scheme coordinator and an inclusion lead attend together.

Mentoring Programme Design Capabilities

Participants move from ad hoc pairings to a mentoring scheme with clear purpose, roles and evidence of results.

• Specify scheme purpose, eligibility and mentoring formats for each target population — sponsor approval
• Design matching methods using profiles, goals and mentor capacity — pair quality and retention
• Build mentor preparation sessions drawing on EMCC competences — mentor confidence
• Apply mentoring agreements covering goals, boundaries and confidentiality — healthy pair relationships
• Test reverse and group mentoring formats for digital skills and inclusion — reach beyond one-to-one pairs
• Assess mentoring outcomes with surveys, goal attainment and retention data — continued investment

Key Mentoring Programme Design Terms

• Mentoring — a development relationship in which an experienced person guides another's growth, career and judgement over time.
• Mentoring agreement — a written understanding between mentor and mentee on goals, meeting rhythm, boundaries and confidentiality.
• Matching criteria — the profile factors used to pair mentors and mentees, such as goals, expertise and availability.
• Reverse mentoring — a format in which a junior employee mentors a senior colleague, often on technology or culture.
• Group mentoring — one mentor guiding several mentees together, or peers mentoring each other in a circle.
• Goal attainment scaling — a method that rates progress against goals set at the start of the relationship.

Mentoring Programme Design Day by Day

Day 1: Purpose and Architecture of a Mentoring Scheme

• Scheme Purpose Statement — Knowledge Transfer, Leadership Growth or Inclusion
• Target Population Analysis — Graduates, New Managers and Critical Experts
• Format Selection — One-to-One, Group, Reverse and Peer Mentoring
• Scheme Roles and Sponsorship — Coordinator, Mentor, Mentee and Line Manager
• ISO 30422 Process Links — Placing Mentoring in the L&D Cycle

Day 2: Recruitment and Matching

• Mentor Recruitment Campaigns — Attracting Volunteers Without Overloading Experts
• Mentee Application Forms — Goals, Preferences and Readiness Questions
• Matching Criteria Matrix — Weighing Goals, Expertise and Availability
• Matching Methods — Administrator-Led, Self-Selection and Software-Assisted
• No-Fault Rematch Process — Ending Pairs That Do Not Work

Day 3: Mentor Preparation and Agreements

• EMCC Competence Framework — Mentor Capability Expectations
• Mentor Briefing Session Design — Listening, Questioning and Sharing Experience
• Mentoring Agreement Template — Goals, Boundaries and Confidentiality Rules
• Meeting Rhythm Guides — First Meeting, Mid-Point and Closure Conversations
• Mentor Supervision Circles — Peer Support for Difficult Situations

Day 4: Reverse, Group Mentoring and Evaluation

• Reverse Mentoring for Digital Skills — Executives Learning From Junior Staff
• Group Mentoring Circles — Engineering and Healthcare Early-Career Cohorts
• Goal Attainment Scaling — Measuring Mentee Progress Against Agreed Goals
• Scheme Evaluation Surveys — Pair Health, Satisfaction and Retention Signals
• Sponsor Impact Report — Linking Mentoring to Succession and Inclusion

Day 5: Practising the Mentoring Scheme Blueprint

• Applying Purpose and Format Choices — Defining One Pilot Cohort
• Applying the Matching Matrix — Pairing a Sample Group of Profiles
• Applying Agreement and Briefing Designs — Mentor Pack Assembly
• Scheme Calendar and Coordinator Checklist — Launch to Closure Milestones
• Mentoring Scheme Blueprint — Final Design Ready for Sponsor Sign-Off

Applying Mentoring Programme Design After the Course

• Run the target population analysis with HR data and agree one pilot cohort and format with the scheme sponsor.
• Use the matching criteria matrix to pair ten mentors and mentees and issue the mentoring agreement template to each pair.

Mentoring Programme Design Questions (FAQ)

What is mentoring programme design and why does it matter now?

Mentoring programme design is the planning of structured mentoring schemes: purpose, matching, preparation, agreements and evaluation. It matters now because organisations need to transfer expert knowledge, grow leaders faster and widen access to senior guidance.

Which roles gain most from mentoring programme design?

Talent managers, L&D specialists, scheme coordinators and inclusion leads gain most. Each shapes a different stage, from setting purpose to matching pairs and reporting outcomes.

How does mentoring programme design differ from a coaching skills course?

Mentoring programme design focuses on building and running the scheme: eligibility, matching, agreements and evaluation. A coaching skills course focuses on an individual's conversation techniques, such as questioning and listening, during coaching sessions.

What do you bring back from mentoring programme design?

You bring back a mentoring scheme blueprint with purpose, formats, a matching matrix, mentor pack, agreement template, scheme calendar and evaluation plan ready for sponsor sign-off.

Mentoring Programme Design: The Way Forward

The mentoring scheme blueprint first informs the sponsor's decision on which population the pilot cohort will serve. Talent managers and scheme coordinators use it to recruit, match and support pairs. After the first cohort closes, the matching criteria deserve another look, as pair feedback shows which factors truly predicted strong relationships.