Small firms urged to sign up for top quality mentoring
Small businesses across the North East are being urged to sign up for a new mentoring scheme pairing senior figures from some of the UK’s biggest companies with ambitious SME leaders.
After a pilot phase in Greater Manchester and Greater Birmingham & Solihull, Mentoring for Growth – by business-led organisation, Be the Business – is expanding nationally with a new cohort of North East businesses invited to join the scheme.
Thirteen leading companies have already signed up to provide more than 130 mentors. The local programme is being led by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, who have developed a rigorous process to match prospective mentees with the best possible mentor.
Colin Bell, Business Growth Director at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The North East is home to one of the fastest -growing economies in the UK and we have a huge number of talented SMEs looking to be the big businesses of tomorrow.
“The North East currently has a number of successful mentoring schemes and the addition of the national Mentoring for Growth programme is great news for our region’s businesses as it gives them access to more advice, support and guidance from some of the UK’s best business minds.
“We recognise that mentoring can play a huge role in helping businesses grow and that’s something we’d like to see across the North East.”
Mentees enrolled in the new scheme will benefit from expert support and advice over a 12-month period to help them improve the productivity of their firms.
In the North East, Mentoring for Growth will be delivered through the North East Growth Hub.
To find out more and to register interest in applying to be part of the scheme, visit www.northeastgrowthhub. co.uk, email info@northeastgrowthhub.co.uk or call 0191 338 7468.