Definition of Mentor

A mentor is a person who passes on their knowledge, skills, and experience to help others with their professional and personal development. The mentor's assistance is valuable in integrating theoretical knowledge into practical life situations.

Mentors, by sharing their own learning experiences, also develop their own skills. The concept of mentoring encompasses roles such as leader, guide, expert, advisor, supporter, role model, and motivator.

A mentor supporting a mentee acts as a "concierge," opening doors to new opportunities. This involves helping the mentee become familiar with the professional and social environments that can be used to achieve their goals.

A mentor may specialise in one role or take on multiple roles. However, the universal role of a mentor is to act as a facilitator.

This document is a learning resource of the Informal Gate Mentoring Training Programme, developed by a consortium of European organizations and funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission. It aims to support volunteers and staff in mentoring offenders and ex-offenders for social reintegration. Several members of the current international project team, who are working on this mentoring training material for Ukrainian refugees, actively participated in the development of the IGM training manual and recognize its applicability for mentors working in various other settings.

The document is structured into several units covering introduction to informal mentoring (purpose, delivery methods, and expectations), context, culture, and individuality (personal security, cultural sensitivity, and learned helplessness), mentor toolbox (practical tools and techniques for effective mentoring), and bench learning (sharing and networking among mentors).

Much of the material in this section is adapted from the IGM Final Training Manual, reflecting its relevance to mentoring in broader contexts. 

The story of Mentor originates from Homer’s Odyssey. When Odysseus, King of Ithaca, left to fight in the Trojan War, he entrusted his household to Mentor, who became a teacher and guardian to Odysseus's son, Telemachus.

After the war, Odysseus was fated to wander for ten years before returning home. As Telemachus grew older, he set out to find his father. During this journey, Athena, the Goddess of War and patroness of arts and industry, accompanied him, disguising herself as Mentor.

Eventually, father and son were reunited, and together they defeated those who sought to usurp Odysseus’s throne and Telemachus’s birthright. Over time, the name Mentor became synonymous with a trusted advisor, friend, teacher, and wise guide.

History is filled with examples of powerful mentoring relationships, such as Socrates and Plato, Haydn and Beethoven, Freud and Jung. Though history often recounts the achievements of princes and kings, each of us has the right to realise our full potential. Mentors are the special individuals in our lives who help us move towards fulfilling that potential through their guidance and support.