Seniors As Mentors Programme
Rationale/Aims
Mature employees possess valuable skills, knowledge and experience. Moreover, studies such as the Future of
Retirement Survey (2006) by the Oxford Institute of Ageing and the Baby Boomers Survey (2009) by the
Ministry of Community Development, Youth & Sports have shown that many do wish to have the opportunity to
teach and guide younger or less experienced staff. The aim of this course is to harness the strengths of
mature employees by equipping them with the key interpersonal competencies so that they could impart their
knowledge and skills to new and junior staff and serve as role-models to them.
Target Participants
- Experienced and mature employees 45 years and above
Course Objectives
Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
- Better understand themselves, their beliefs and values, work and communication styles and the effects
these have on the mentoring relationship
- Better understand and appreciate the personalities, strengths, learning styles and socio-cultural
background etc. of their mentees
- Understand the purpose, process and principles of mentoring
- Be equipped with key mentoring skills and be able to apply them
- Be able to be deployed as mentor and serve as positive influence and effective role-models for
new/junior staff
Course Outlines
Part A: Understanding bio-psycho-social aspects of ageing
- Issues & concerns in late life
- Age-associated changes: physiological and psychological
- Health and health maintenance
Part B: Mentoring & Self-Awareness
- Self-awareness & values clarification
- Overcoming internal barriers
- Understanding yourself through MBTI
- Type and mentoring styles
Part C: Understanding Your Mentees
- Understanding your mentee’s strengths (including experience, skills, interests, work values, styles,
etc.), limitations and developmental needs
- Influencing factors: cultural differences or multi-cultural issues/needs
- Type and learning styles
- Harmonising your mentoring style with your mentee’s learning style
Part D: Developing Key interpersonal Competencies: Counselling, Mentoring & Coaching
- Definitions: difference between coaching, counselling and mentoring
- Roles, boundaries and duties of a coach, counsellor & mentor
- Principles of coaching, counselling & mentoring
- Common traps & problems of coaching, counselling & mentoring
- Coaching / counselling / mentoring skills
- Mentoring & counselling process
- Managing conflicts
Part E: Knowledge & Skills Application
- Case presentations
- Written assessment
Course Duration
Five days or shorter depending on organisation’s requirement.
*Criteria for award of Certificate (five day programme):
Demonstrate competencies in applying the knowledge acquired, as well as attending and micro-skills. Case
presentations of mentoring sessions conducted with mature workers should show evidence of a good grasp of
the material taught.