By Phillip Othen

Whether already established in the industry or newly entering, mentoring programmes represent a key skill transfer initiative.

Many studies have shown that those involved in such services – either as a mentor or mentee – foster meaningful connections, with 97% saying the experience was valuable, according to Mentorloop. Indeed, 100% of US Fortune 50 companies have mentoring programmes.

The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation has just launched its mentorship platform, which features quick and easy online registration for members.

Offering tools and learning resources to support mentor/mentee relationships, Head of Education and Professional Development at CIHT, Cat Goumal, says the whole process has been designed with easy access in mind.

“CIHT mentoring is our brand new mentoring platform designed to make it easy for CIHT members working towards professional registration (EngTech, IEng, CEng, CTPP) to find a mentor and for members who are already professionally registered, to sign up as a mentor,” she says.

“Both mentors and mentees complete a profile with details of their specialisms, professional qualifications and so forth, and the platform uses these to help find the best match.”

The platform allows mentees to search for mentors who would be the most appropriate for them in terms of professional qualifications and experience.

Making meaningful connections

“Whilst many members working towards professional registration already have a mentor in their workplace, those working for SMEs, the public sector or working outside of the UK may not have a mentor and CIHT mentoring provides a platform for those people to make connections,” Goumal explains.

“Having a mentor significantly increases the chances of success at professional reviews. Mentors can help mentees to gain perspective, set goals, identify their strengths and weaknesses and ultimately help them to be successful. The platform includes support and guidance, video conferencing and progress tracking tools.”

Built to be flexible in terms of both online and face-to-face mentoring, Goumal says being a mentor can be an extremely rewarding experience.

“Having gained professional registration, becoming a mentor is a great way to give back and support the next generation of highways and transportation professionals,” she states.

“Whether you have just qualified or have been professionally registered for some time, mentees can benefit a lot from your experience. It’s easy to sign up on the platform and there is lots of support and training to help you. Becoming a mentor is also a great way to develop leadership and management skills.”

Register now as either a mentor or mentee and utilise the support of CIHT’s member network to further your career and knowledge.