The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is excited to announce the launch of its new Online Mentor Training tool, a significant enhancement to the IMechE Career Developer platform. This innovative resource is designed to make it easier and more convenient for experienced engineers to become mentors, guiding their colleagues towards achieving professional registration and advancing their careers.
IMechE’s Monitored Professional Development Scheme (MPDS) is a highly respected program that supports newly graduated engineers on their path to professional registration. Mentors play a crucial role in this journey, providing guidance and support over typically four years. Recognizing the time constraints faced by senior engineers, IMechE has developed this online tool to streamline the mentor training process.
Previously, aspiring mentors were required to attend half-day, in-person training sessions, often necessitating travel and disrupting busy schedules. The new Imeche Career Developer Tool offers a fully online, interactive training experience, accessible anytime, anywhere with an internet connection. This flexibility is a game-changer for experienced engineers who are keen to contribute to the profession by becoming mentors.
Hal Himsworth, an IMechE Fellow and Chartered Engineer at Subsea 7, emphasizes the advantages of the new platform: “The new training platform is interactive and breaks down the training into smaller modules. It allows you to complete it at your own pace and revisit sections as needed.” For professionals like Hal, who travel frequently, the ability to integrate training into their existing commitments is invaluable.
This online tool is a significant upgrade from previous online offerings. Hal, who is also part of the Professional Development Standards Committee, notes, “It consists of six modules incorporating spoken text and visual aids. Crucially, each module concludes with questions to ensure engagement and understanding, unlike the previous platform which was less interactive.”
The entire training module, including insightful case studies designed to help mentors evaluate mentee readiness for professional review, takes approximately 50 minutes to complete. This efficient design respects the valuable time of experienced engineers while ensuring comprehensive training.
The IMechE Career Developer Tool for mentor training is available through the Institution’s Career Developer platform. While this online option provides exceptional convenience, IMechE continues to offer full-day, face-to-face sessions for larger groups who prefer in-person interaction and collaborative discussions.
Steve Bowle, a Chartered Engineer with 30 years of experience and an MPDS mentor since 2005, confirms the online tool’s effectiveness, particularly for refresher training required every three years. “I found the online training to be thorough and informative, even as an experienced mentor. It’s a definite step forward, especially for refresher courses, eliminating the need for travel.”
For current MPDS mentors, the new online training is readily accessible via a direct link within the MPDS career developer tool. This initiative underscores IMechE’s commitment to supporting professional development and fostering a strong mentorship culture within the engineering community through the enhanced IMechE Career Developer Tool.
