Employers Work with us PR Mentoring programme PR Mentoring programme INTRODUCTION TO THE PR MENTORING PROGRAMME Our PR Mentoring Programme has allowed us to expand the reach of the Foundation’s work, by supporting a greater number of talented students as they pursue a career in communications and PR. Spanning over a six-month period, our PR Mentoring programme offers black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) candidates (18+) interested in public relations (PR) and communications the opportunity to be allocated a mentor. To date, we have made over 50 successful matches and through our survey findings it is evident that mentoring has benefitted both the mentor and the mentee. Mentees reported that mentoring helped them to develop their knowledge of the industry and their contacts; it also helped build their confidence and they are now better equipped to apply for PR roles. Our mentors have also fed back how much they benefited from the mentoring relationship, with over a quarter of mentors reporting that they now feel better equipped to give PR specific career advice. "It is a pleasure to mentor the amazing Yeside Williams as part of the Taylor Bennett Foundation PR Mentoring programme. Meeting and supporting young people brimming with raw energy, creative talent & fresh perspectives in the comms industry is a highlight of my job" Emma Blint, Marketing Manager, 72Point WHAT IS THE PR MENTORING PROGRAMME? Designed to directly address the need for greater ethnic diversity in the communications industry, our six month PR Mentoring Programme involves PR practitioners sharing their insights into how the PR industry operates and how best to prepare for the job market. Our PR Mentoring Programme takes the more traditional form of mentoring, with strong elements of a reverse mentoring structure. Whilst mentees will gain a better understanding of the PR industry, we want our mentors to gain an insight into the challenges BAME students face when trying to enter the workplace, so this will be a two way programme. Upon completion of the programme, all mentees will receive: • An in-depth understanding of the PR and communications industry • A mentor that will act as a sounding board to provide feedback • Support with navigating and understanding the recruitment process • A career action plan including an updated and improved CV and covering letter WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING A MENTOR? • An opportunity to gain insight into the challenges BAME candidates face when trying to enter the workforce. • A chance to improve your interpersonal and self-reflective skills • An opportunity to practice and hone your career advising skills • A sense of achievement in helping someone start their own career journey 2019 mentors: 72Point, Bupa, CCGroup PR, Google UK, Harvard, Headland Consultancy, Interel Group, London Communications, MOO and Smarts Communicate HOW TO GET INVOLVED Applications for the programme are accepted twice a year (Autumn 2019 and Spring 2020). If you are interested in becoming a mentor for the Taylor Bennett Foundation then you will need to submit an application form. Once your application has been submitted, you will be contacted by a member of the team to discuss the matching and selection process. To apply, please complete the online application form here - PR Mentoring Programme - Mentor Application Form. If you have any queries or would like to put several people forward for the programme, please contact our Programme Manager Gabrielle Thuesday for details [email protected].