PROFESSIONAL people are being urged to think about becoming mentors to young adults as a way of using their skills to help others.

Mentoring is a growing phenomenon, and one that can produce some real, positive results.

Surveyor Richard Sturt, who works at the Southampton office of property consultants King Sturge, has been a mentor for 18 months and says it is one of the best things he has ever done.

"I'd had a lot of opportunities myself and was lucky enough to have people guide me when I was younger. I felt I wanted to put something back and am a strong believer that with a little effort you can help someone reach their full potential."

So what does being a mentor involve? Richard is part of the RISE Mentoring Scheme, which is based at Rainer City Training in Portsmouth.

As a volunteer he is expected to give a few hours every month to meet his mentee and encourage them to explore opportunities open to them.

This may include visiting museums, exhibitions, going to the cinema or even just having a coffee and a chat.

Mentors and mentees are very carefully matched to ensure the relationship works.

Every young adult that takes part in the scheme has joined the project voluntarily, possibly having been referred from another agency and will have a variety of needs or goals.

They may need help focusing on how to get a job or find the right educational course, or help with improving interpersonal skills, motivation and relationship building.

A mentor needs to be someone who can listen and talk objectively and who can empathise with young people.

He or she offers advice and support in both a practical and emotional sense and needs to be reliable, flexible and non-judgmental.

Mentor skills include leadership, problem solving, motivation, nurturing and communication.

Mentors have to show commitment. A relationship is expected to last for six months or longer.

In Richard's case he has seen his mentee Matt, who is 19, identifying a course of study, getting on the course and obtaining work experience, aided by Richard using his network of contacts.

As a result, Matt has just received an award for Excellent Achievement from the Learning and Skills Council. It was presented by Fred Dinenage of Meridian TV at a ceremony in Portsmouth.

Richard is delighted with Matt's success. "Mentoring is one of the most satisfying elements of my life. To see Matt achieve something he has striven for really gives me a buzz."

The training that accompanies the mentoring scheme also leads to mentors benefiting personally through being awarded a BTEC in mentoring and counselling skills.

This takes the form of a two-day course plus an evening every few months covering topics including active listening skills, models for target setting, health and safety and ethics.

"Young people experiencing difficulties really do need more positive role models and professional people have the problem solving skills that are so useful to them," said Richard. "At the moment professionals are really under represented as mentors.

"It's a two-way benefit too, as mentoring represents a challenge outside your normal working experience, which feeds back into it.

"I have learnt a lot about how to listen to people effectively and hear what they are really saying. I think in that way King Sturge has benefited through my personal development. What's more, if you think you have had a difficult day in the office, then you go to meet your mentee, it puts everything into perspective."

If you or your company would like to find out more about mentoring then you can get in touch with Helen Boxall at RISE Mentoring on 023 9278 0070 for further information.