MENTORING AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - 2021/2

Module Overview

This module provides the final stage in the employability and professional development thread of the SHTM UG programmes. This module focuses on developing a mentoring relationship between students and industry professionals representing a range of career opportunities and positions within tourism and hospitality. The formal mentor relationship will give the students exposure to industry and a dedicated mentor. The mentor will assign the student an industry based project to complete with the objective to provide the opportunity for the students to experience first-hand how business operates. The mentor will guide the student through the process and aid with their skill development. The module is offered in partnership with Troika recruitment.

Module provider

Hospitality, Tourism & Events Management

Module Leader

GANBERT Sylvia (Hosp & Tour)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

N/A  

Module content

Thematic areas that the module focuses on include: 

Academic and Transferable Skill Development:

• Analysis of business and sensitive commercial data


• Verbal and non-verbal communication skills (including: presentation skills, business report writing, online communication techniques and taking feedback)


• Self-reflection and awareness through analysis of own skill development and current levels

• Employability: general and sector-specific skill set requirements


• Developing professional identity and impact by managing the mentor relationship


• Working with industry professionals and learning from experience (from self and professionals)


• Business ethics and corporate social responsibility


• Business awareness and acumen


• How to manage your industry identity and communicate with impact


• Leadership skills and proactive relationship management


• Networking in both internal and external organisational contexts

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

Alternative assessment will be in the form of an industry based essay

Assessment Strategy

 

The summative assessment strategy for this module consists of:

1) Industry based project. Submitted in the form of an academic report. The project outline is agreed between mentor and mentee (student) as guided by the academic supervisor, module teaching staff. An edited version of the project findings and recommendations may be presented to the mentor. 

The student will work on a genuine industry based problem (as directed by the mentor). They will be required to gather business data and research to deliver the project, focusing on solutions, recommendations and feasible outcomes. Mentor visits and meetings are essential for the student to gather appropriate data.

2) A self-reflective individual essay. Where students reflect upon their professional skills learnt to date and their career aspirations within the hospitality, tourism and events sectors using one or more of the following earlier assignments: Level 4 Self-reflective essay – MAN1087 Developing Professionals, MAN2127 Professional Development in Practice and or Placement Year report.

 

Formative assessment and feedback

Support is provided through academic contact in seminars and lectures and the proforma feedback session. Guidance is also available from the mentor. Each student is also allocated an internal academic project supervisor. 

Module aims

• The aim of the module is to engage students with an industry professional mentor who will advise and guide them through an industry based project as well as exposing the student to business and networks and help their skill development. This module will provide the final module in the thread of employability and professional development that is embedded throughout all SHTM UG programmes. In particular, students will critique their professional development throughout the course of their programme (from level 4 to 6), and will encourage students to further develop their professional identity by critiquing key issues around leadership skills (Coaching and Mentoring) and developing external professional networks. By working directly with an industry mentor, students will gain hands-on experience in researching a current industry problem and making commercial and sound business recommendations to their mentor as well as reflecting and developing their employability skill levels.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The key teaching and learning strategy is designed to encourage students to enhance and reflect upon the key skills and values required to launch their professional identity and successful career in the hospitality, tourism and events industries through ongoing mentor guidance and academic support.

The module is co-delivered with Troika Recruitment and will draw upon a range of teaching and learning techniques to encourage students to actively engage and reflect upon their position as students and as future professionals in the hospitality, tourism and events industries.

This will reflect the aims and learning outcomes above and will comprise of a range of classroom-based techniques including: lectures, class discussion, presentations, industry analysis, peer to peer feedback, industry mentor visits from alumni and industry partners, that are designed explicitly to develop students’ critical ability and comprehension of the issues addressed. 

Students and mentors will also be expected to meet at least three times face to face. Classes and sessions will be delivered both in teaching rooms and at the mentor’s host business.

Additional readings, activities, online resources, and lecture slides will be available on SurreyLearn.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures  


• 
  Classroom based workshops 
  


• 
  One to one mentor/mentee sessions
  


• 
  Mentor launch event  - Week 1 
  

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: MAN3142

Other information

This module has a capped number and may not be available to ERASMUS and other international exchange students. Please check with the Global Engagement Office exchange and study abroad team.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2021/2 academic year.