Sector: Consulting services, Education
A Virtual Mentorship Programme to guide women entrepreneurs in sustainable business development. It combines online mentoring, peer-to-peer learning, and immersive workshops using VR/AR tools.
Background
This practice involves a virtual mentorship programme aimed at adult women in Austria, who are either starting their own businesses or have already established themselves and now seek to incorporate sustainable practices into their business models. The programme focuses on integrating sustainable business practices into the strategies of female entrepreneurs.
The mentorship programme leverages a combination of innovative virtual mentoring techniques, including:
Interactive online mentoring sessions: facilitated real-time video conferencing, interactive chat, and resource sharing. These sessions include a mix of one-on-one mentorship and group discussions to cater to individual and collective learning needs. Real-world cases studies are also discussed used for the sessions.
Immersive workshops: Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) workshops that simulate real-world business scenarios and sustainable practices. These workshops provide hands-on experiences in a virtual setting, making learning more engaging and effective.
This methodology includes peer-to-peer learning, personalised mentorship, and interactive digital platforms to foster an engaging and supportive learning environment.
Key Principles
The main characteristics of this practice include:
Special Mentoring:
• Difference to usual mentoring: this mentorship programme is distinguished by its emphasis on sustainability and the use of cutting-edge digital tools. Mentors are trained not only in mentorship techniques but also in sustainable business practices and the use of digital tools for virtual mentoring. This dual expertise allows mentors to provide holistic guidance.
• Implementation: mentors utilise a variety of online tools to conduct virtual tours of green businesses, showcase sustainable technologies through VR simulations, and provide interactive feedback on participants’ business plans through collaborative online platforms.
Personalised Mentorship:
• Innovative Approach: each participant is matched with a mentor based on their specific business goals and sustainability interests. The programme employs an advanced matching algorithm that considers participants’ business profiles and mentors’ areas of expertise.
• Tools Used: innovative tools such as virtual job shadowing, where participants can observe their mentors’ business operations in a virtual setting, and digital collaboration platforms like Miro or Trello for continuous interaction and feedback. These tools enable participants to apply what they learn in a controlled, supportive environment before implementing it in their own businesses.
• Peer-to-peer learning: besides mentoring, participants are also encouraged to share their experiences, challenges, and successes with each other through online forums and discussion groups. This peer-to-peer learning can help foster a sense of community (“I am not alone”) and mutual support, not having only one-to-one mentoring as traditionally implemented.
Skills required from trainers and mentors include expertise in sustainable business practices, green technologies, and the ability to provide personalised guidance and support in a virtual environment.
Performance Indicators
The main performance indicators to assess the value of this practice can include the following elements in a long-term:
• Participant feedback: satisfaction and engagement levels of participants, measured through feedback forms.
• Knowledge and skill gain: pre- and post-programme assessments to measure the increase in participants’ understanding of sustainable business practices and green technologies.
• Implementation success: the number of participants who successfully implement sustainable strategies in their businesses or developed a business plan to implement sustainable strategies – can be tracked through follow-up surveys and interviews.
• Business outcomes: improvement in business performance metrics such as revenue, customer satisfaction, and environmental impact for participants who integrate sustainable practices into their businesses.
• Community impact: positive social and environmental outcomes in the community, resulting from the participants’ adoption of sustainable business practices.
Impact and Outcomes
The main benefits and outcomes of this practice include:
• Tailored support: personalised mentorship ensures that each participant receives guidance specific to their business needs and goals, increasing the likelihood of successful implementation of sustainable practices.
• Enhanced knowledge and skills: participants gain a deep understanding of sustainable business practices and green technologies, as well as practical skills for integrating these into their businesses.
• Community building: peer-to-peer learning and interactive workshops foster a sense of community, providing participants with ongoing support and motivation from fellow entrepreneurs.
• Successful models: participants are equipped with practical strategies and real-world examples to be able to create sustainable and successful business models.
• Positive environmental and social impact: by integrating sustainability into their business practices or at least to develop this approach, participants can contribute to positive environmental and social outcomes in their communities.
Lessons learned from this practice include the importance of personalised support, the value of peer-to-peer learning, and the need for practical, real-world examples to illustrate theoretical concepts.
Transferability & Scalability
Implementation in VET Trainings for Green Jobs and Business Development with mentor training and online infrastructure