Mentoring circles for female entrepreneurs” - Richness of learning through coaching & mentoring
Name of institution: Universiteit Hasselt
Type of the organization: - Education and training organisation
Thematic scope of the project: - Education and training
- Women and jobs
Problems to be solved (justification of the need of the transnational cooperation): Hasselt University has over 10 years of experience with a mentor-, network- and training programme for women in the profit-sector, aiming to create professional networks by and for women. In our experience the role of the mentor isn’t always clear and there is need for some additional guidance. Furthermore women don’t always have the time to participate in life-meetings and an online tool would therefore create some flexibility.
The ESF-project involves the development and testing of an online training program aimed at increasing the mentoring and coaching skills of experienced and successful female entrepreneurs who advise other women on the growth of their business.
There are two target groups: (1) mentors (successful female entrepreneurs) and (2) mentees (female entrepreneurs who use the mentoring), who are in a crucial stage of the entrepreneurship career; they either contemplate stopping their business or they are considering expanding their business (by for example hiring their first employee, or opening a second shop).
Objectives to be achieved: The product we want to develop is an online training program for mentors (and working tool for mentees). To test whether this training program is effective, we will use these mentors in a mentor-project. In brief, the project has two parts:
part 1: development and testing of a training program for female mentors (experienced entrepreneurs who volunteer to guide less experienced female entrepreneurs as a mentor and coach);
part 2: organization of a mentoring-project for female entrepreneurs in which these trained mentors will be deployed. We opt for a combination of one-on-one mentoring and networking activities. Duration of the mentoring-project: 3 months.
Main transnational activities (as provisionally planned, to be confirmed with partners): The potential partner, would work out (together with the Flemish partners) the needs of the women (e.g. by the organization of an additional focus-group discussion), decide on the content of the training program and test it. Transnational travel costs can be reimbursed by the approved project, other activities however not.
Planned deliverables & outcomes of TNC: Developed online training program for mentors (and working tool for mentees), the training program tested.
Target group: - Employed in SMEs (between 50 and 250 employees)
- Women
Stage of the implementation: Project under implementation
Budget of the project in EUR: 232285
Budget of transnational activities in EUR: 0
Duration of the project from (dd/mm/yyyy) to (dd/mm/yyyy): 01/11/2012 - 31/10/2014
Duration of transnational activities within the project from (dd/mm/yyyy) to (dd/mm/yyyy): ASAP up to 31/10/2014
Contact person: Sarah Verlackt, Corinne.Reynders
Fishing Pool 
fp_universiteit hasselt.doc