The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has appointed Helen Lee to the new position of Mentoring Co-ordinator, to help lead a new mentoring programme for businesses with high growth potential.
The ‘Growth through Mentoring’ programme is being launched as part of the North East LEP’s drive to support companies to scale, helping to create more and better jobs and drive economic growth in the region.
Colin Bell, Business Growth Director at the North East LEP, said: “The North East LEP recognises the importance of supporting businesses to scale – growing businesses are central to the health of the region’s economy.
“One of the key barriers which business leaders face when it comes to growing their business is the ability to develop leadership skills and access to mentors who have experience of successfully scaling a business themselves.
“Growth through Mentoring will bring business leaders from high growth potential companies together with these experienced mentors.”
Helen will typically work with companies that have been operational for at least two years, have 10 or more employees and have the aspiration to significantly scale their business.
Helen will be leading the drive to get high quality business mentors in the region on board, to provide the mentoring services to high growth potential businesses and therefore bringing business leaders and experienced mentors together to help boost business growth in the North East.
Helen Lee said: “Mentoring has a key role to play in achieving the North East LEP’s aim of creating more and better jobs for the area. It’s been proven to help companies grow and prosper, and yet only a small proportion of business leaders currently work with a mentor.”
Helen, who has previously worked at Newcastle College, and as a Business Development Manager with organisations across the North East, will be the first point of contact for North East businesses who want to find out more about how mentoring can help them grow.
Research has shown that 71% of business leaders felt that they would be able to grow their business quicker if it were easier to find mentoring and professional support scheme locally and they worked effectively (source: Scale Up Institute: Scale Up Review 2016) and the North East LEP want to help make that happen.
More details about Growth through Mentoring are available at www.nelep.co.uk.