Luton Training and Mentoring (LTM) - Refugee Learning Support Project
Luton Training and Mentoring Limited (LTM) is an organisation that believes in the power of mentoring and provides programmes of customised mentoring and training for young people, local businesses, refugees and members of minority groups.
Luton Training & Mentoring has been undertaking the Refugee Learning Support Project. This project has been helping members of the refugee communities to integrate into British Society, offering learners a highly customised programme of training, supported by an in depth programme of one-to-one mentoring. All of the learners were matched with one of the team of volunteer community mentors, each of whom has provided support and advice, enabling the production of an individual learning action plan for each participant in the programme.
The project was set out with the aim of helping members of the refugee community within Luton to better integrate into wider society, improving the skills, knowledge and confidence of individuals in order that they may progress on to more formal learning. The project has incorporated a number of activities and undertook liaison with community groups to raise awareness of the project and to identify potential learners. This served to develop good links with a number of organisations and widen the amount of specialist support to the people entering onto the programme. The training sessions incorporated a wide range of topics from financial management to coping with domestic violence. Some of the activities provided a considerable amount of input on selling yourself and CV writing, along with factual information on the British legal, benefits and educational systems. A mentor matching service was used which provided an intensive programme of one-to-one support, culminating in the production of an individual action plan for each learner. Most of the learners have progressed onto further learning and some onto the Community Champions programme to become mentors for others. This is reflective of the impact that the confidence boosting training, and the associated mentoring support has on individual learners.
Luton Training and Mentoring have produced some films which show the project in progress, including clips of refugees involved in the learning process. These have been used in promotional events.
Luton Training & Mentoring receiving their award for recognition of the success of the project.
The project has served to raise the profile of mentoring amongst the refugee community. The project has generated many enquiries from people wishing to participate in similar training and mentoring programmes. The project has enabled us to forge strong links with a number of community organisations. This has resulted in an extended range of signposting/referral services that are available to all mentors across the client base. The project has improved community relations and enabled mentors to increase in confidence as they deliver the mentoring support to others in their own community.
Project Manager: Anjana Parmar
email: anj@lutonmentor.com
tel: 01582 848488
