About

Mountain Training Association's Mentoring Programme

Interested in being mentored or becoming a Mentor?

Our Association’s mentoring programme is for:

Members who have completed a training course for any of Mountain Training's qualification schemes and are looking for support during the consolidation phase as you work toward assessment.
Qualified members who hold a Mountain Training qualification and would like to volunteer as a Mentor, give something back, help others and gain a greater sense of confidence in what you do.

Aims and objectives for the programme

Mountain Training aims to develop “A diverse and active outdoor society, supported by inspirational leaders, instructors and coaches”.

In order to achieve this objectives are to:

Provide support and encouragement between training and assessment.
Empower people to achieve their goals.
Train and develop the skills and knowledge of members.
Increase the number of people from under-represented groups to become Mountain Training qualified leaders, instructors and coaches.

How it works

Each year we advertise opportunities for members to join the programme.
Members apply to be a Mentor or a Mentee.
We provide Mentor training to qualified members who have applied to become Mentors.
We match mentees to a suitable mentor, matched where possible by qualification* (working towards or gained respectively).
Once matched we host a 'Meet your Mentor' evening, which is led by a tutor, who outlines the key principles of the mentoring programme, Mentees then 'meet' their mentors in break-out rooms and begin to outline their mentoring agreement, then the programme gets underway.

*As well as important factors such as qualifications and experience, geographical location is important to the pairing process. Therefore, we try to match Mentees with Mentors who are geographically relatively close as it is beneficial if you can meet face-to-face.

The programme typically lasts 12 months from the date of the 'Meet your Mentor' meeting. At the end of the 12 months or when the Mentee achieves their goal, whichever is sooner, we ask for feedback from participants to help understand the impact of the programme.

Why Mentoring?

Mountain Training UK and Ireland (MTUKI) has run a successful Mentoring Programme for the last four years. Other organisations such as Association of Mountaineering Instructors and British Canoeing have similar programmes. At Mountain Training, it is our mission to inspire, enable and develop people in walking, climbing and mountaineering. Mentoring helps us do this by further training our already experienced members and enabling them to support and encourage those still on their path to being qualified. Mentoring adds a key element of utilising experience to support others and provides an extra layer to the support and resources for members that already exist within MTUKI.

How to get involved

Click on the Information for Mentors/Mentees tabs at the top of this page.

Do you have a question?

Visit our frequently asked questions page for more information:

Not currently a member of MTA?

You need to be a member of Mountain Training's Association to take part in this programme. If you're not currently a member, you can join via the 'Membership' tab in your Mountain Training account or click the 'Join Now' button below:

Information for Mentors

Want to get involved in being a Mentor?

As a Mentor you will contribute to a community of best practice, supporting Members through their consolidation period between training and assessment. You’ll share your knowledge, skills and experience to build your Mentee’s confidence and help them to achieve their goals.

There is a short application form and as long as you hold a Mountain Training qualification and can commit the necessary time to the programme, you can become a Mentor.

What the role entails

Initial commitment is for 12 months, and Mentors are expected to:

Create a written mentoring agreement with your Mentee outlining your intended mentoring relationship.
Conduct a minimum of six sessions with a Mentee, consisting of reflective questioning, advice, guidance and promoting self-reflection.
If feasible, arrange at least two face-to-face meetings with your Mentee*. These opportunities allow you to forge a stronger rapport with each other, and could be used:

To observe/assist one another working with groups.
Go walking or climbing together
Have a meeting to discuss progress

Complete monitoring and evaluation documentation to help MTA develop the programme and demonstrate impact.
Share your experiences and evidence of good practice with peers.

* We welcome applications from across the UK and Ireland. We acknowledge that the support offered to Mentees will (in the main) take place via means other than face-to-face; be it phone, email and/or online (using platforms such Teams and Zoom). However, we hope that at some point over the course of the year it may be feasible for face-to-face meet ups to take place. We are aware that our members travel a lot with their work and to practise their skills during consolidation, and we do appreciate the difficulties involved in travelling long distances to meet so will endeavour to match Mentees and Mentors by locality.

We are looking for Mentors with the following attributes

At least one Mountain Training qualification.
Understanding of the importance of equity, diversity and inclusivity in the adventure activities sector.
A proven track record in seeking, giving, and acting upon feedback to/from peers and others for your own self-reflection, growth and development.
An interest in supporting the development and progression of others.
An interest in developing collegiate relationships with others that support the sharing of best practice, ideas and experience through effective questioning and listening.

How to apply

We are now inviting prospective Mentors to apply to be a volunteer on the programme and a link to the application form is available below. Applications must be completed by Tuesday 2nd April.

Mentor Application form

After completing the above application form, please book a provisional place on one of the Tutor-led training events below. Your place will be confirmed once your application has been successful.

2024 Mentor Training dates

Tutor-led online training Monday 22nd April 18:30-20:30
Self-led online learning module - link will be sent to course attendees two weeks prior to the tutor-led online training

Tutor-led online training Tuesday 30th April 18:30-20:30
Self-led online learning module - link will be sent to course attendees two weeks prior to the tutor-led online training

We will aim to complete the matching process in early May, ready to commence the mentoring year, following the 'Meet your mentor' evening on Tuesday 21st May or soon after. We will always do our best to match you, however we cannot guarantee that all applicants will be matched with a mentor this year.

Following training there will be a 'Meet your Mentor' tutor-led online evening session on Tuesday 21st May 18:30-20:30, where you can meet and get to know your mentee and get the programme underway. Please do your utmost to attend this event.

Browse our library of mentoring resources.

Statement on our position on individuals approved to deliver Mountain Training schemes and qualifications becoming Mentors

We fully support individuals who are approved Mountain Training Providers and/or Course Directors who wish to become Mentors. The wealth of knowledge and experience held is of huge value to the Association and especially to those candidates seeking support through their own Mountain Training pathways.

It is possible, however, that there may be cause for a conflict of interest, and/or potential questioning from candidates around lack of impartiality if Mentors who are also approved to deliver Mountain Training awards assess their own Mentees.

It is therefore recommended that Mentees are not assessed by their current Mentor.

Information for Mentees

Want to be involved and find a Mentor?

Are you someone who is looking for support in your journey to assessment, and who will be motivated to drive your mentoring relationship forwards? Then apply below.

What the role entails

You and your Mentor will sign up to an initial commitment for 12 months, and you are both are expected to:

Create a written mentoring agreement outlining your intended working partnership.
Conduct a minimum of six sessions, which will consist of reflective questioning, advice, guidance and self-reflection.
If feasible, arrange two face-to-face meetings with your Mentor. These opportunities allow you to forge a stronger rapport with each other, and could be used:

To observe/assist one another working with groups.
Go walking or climbing together
Have a café meeting to discuss progress

Potentially, these meetings may be used for observing/assisting with groups (at Mentor’s discretion).
Complete monitoring and evaluation documentation to help MTA develop the programme and demonstrate impact.

My Mentor

Your Mentor will receive training in mentoring skills from MTA. They will also have:

At least one Mountain Training qualification.
A track record in seeking, giving, and acting upon feedback to/from peers, and others.
A strong interest in supporting the development and progression of others.
An interest in developing collegiate relationships with others to support the sharing of best practice.
Effective questioning and listening skills.

How to apply

We are now inviting prospective mentees to apply for a place on the programme and a link to the application form is available below. Applications must be completed by Tuesday 2nd April.

We will aim to complete the matching process in early May, ready to commence the mentoring year.
We will be in touch at that time with more details and a link to an online training module, which you will need to complete prior to the 'Meet your mentor' evening on Tuesday 21st May. Please make every effort to be available for this event.

There will be an initial tutor led sessions giving you an opportunity to ask any questions prior to meeting your mentor.
We will always do our best to match you, however we cannot guarantee that all applicants will be matched with a mentor this year.

Mentee Application form
The 'meet your mentor' tutor-supported online evening session on Tuesday 21st May 1830-2030 is where you can meet your mentor and start discussing your goals and aspirations. Please do your utmost to be available for this event.
Browse our library of mentoring resources.

Mentor Programme - Training Facilitator

Are you interested in becoming a Mentor Training Facilitator?

Mountain Training's Association are looking to contract another Mentor Training Facilitator to help coordinate the training of all mentors within the Associations mentoring programme. The primary focus of the association is to support and develop our members, especially trainees who are looking to move through, what we refer to as, the consolidation stage (a period wherein skills and knowledge that have been acquired through training are embedded and perfected through experience in the field with groups and individuals). The mentoring programme is a cornerstone of our work and enables trainees to be supported by qualified and experienced leaders, coaches and instructors and is an invaluable opportunity for all involved.

We are looking for an experienced training facilitator who holds at least one Mountain Training leadership qualification, so that you have firsthand experience of working through one of our schemes from registration through to passing the assessment. Understanding this process will help you to create an engaging training experience for our mentors with a clear understanding of their role and expertise.

You will be responsible for running training sessions online and/or in person with new mentors to ensure that they understand the expectations, requirements, boundaries and desired outcomes of their mentoring role.

We have training resources in place, however you would be welcome to amend these to suit your needs or to create your own in consultation with MTA staff.

To deliver the best quality training for our mentors, the following list details the essential and desirable skills/characteristics/experience required from potential facilitators.

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Essential
Recent experience of being a mentor in a professional capacity. e.g., in the workplace, with professional bodies, peer Mentoring in a professional capacity.
Mountain Training qualification holder to understand the context of the mentoring scheme.
Willing to undergo a short period of training and observation from the MTA team and current training facilitators.
Ability to deliver high quality training online and/or in person.
Understanding of the importance and relevance of mentoring in a professional capacity.
Desirable
Mentoring or coaching qualification(s). e.g., EMCC/CIPD/ICF* or Diploma/Certificated courses.
Proficient training delivery skills.
Well-developed interpersonal skills.
Understanding the needs of our mentors and able to tailor discussions during training to best support them.

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please send in a CV with either a cover letter or a brief summary of how you meet the person specification above to mentoring@mountain-training.org.