In this blog, Libby Haughton, Programme Area Manager, Health and Social Care, Child Education and Business at Lancaster and Morecambe College, writes about her experience of the T Level Leadership Mentoring Programme.
Taking time for your own development when time is so precious can be difficult, but taking part in ETF’s T Level Leadership Mentoring Programme has given me the confidence to set up and deliver T Levels to a high standard. My mentoring relationship enabled me to celebrate the successes and deal with the challenges of delivering T Levels in a productive, effective and efficient way. All through the programme, I was able to refine and develop my leadership skills, and discussing my ideas, thoughts and plans with a mentor was so beneficial to gain the skills and confidence to support my team. I explored techniques to implement change and to support colleagues in a positive, collaborative way, allowing us all to learn from each other and share effective practice.
The highlight of the programme for me was the relationship I developed with my mentor, who was so warm and easy to talk to. I genuinely looked forward to our sessions. Sometimes the most influential or ‘lightbulb’ moments are the most simple. Coming to the realisation that there is only so much you can do about any worries has had a big impact on how I now work. Using the phrases ‘how do you know?’ or ‘what evidence do you have?’ really help me to distinguish between problems I can do something about and worries I need to move on from. I am much better at this since my experience as a mentee, and I feel that having the confidence to know you have done everything you can, and that now the time to let go and move forward, is empowering.
I wanted to be able to give back to others what I experienced, so I applied to become a sector-based mentor and was thrilled to be successful. Through this I have been able to help others to develop self-awareness of their own skills, to enable them to have the confidence to try things out for themselves, and to give them the tools they need to answer their own questions and work out their own solutions. Through my experience as a mentee, and my training and supervision as a sector-based mentor, I’ve been able to see ETF’s approach to mentoring first-hand, which is supporting people in a developmental way rather than just sharing your own experience and knowledge with them.
Following my experience of working with the T Level Leadership Mentoring Programme, I now have greater confidence in my own abilities to lead a team and to develop the curriculum for a new qualification. This confidence has led me to take part in an Aspiring Leaders Course through college where my final project was centred on introducing a coaching and mentoring programme in the college. I have also recently been successful in my promotion to Programme Area Manager for Health and Social Care, Child Education and Business, and I am certain that my confidence and ambition to progress further definitely started with my mentoring programme experience!
Coaching and mentoring enabled me to identify gaps or plan next steps, whether to improve performance or for personal growth. It has been one of the best CPD opportunities I have experienced. Having a safe, confidential and protected space was so valuable and enjoyable, and the individualised and tailored nature of the programme meant I could focus on my own development needs and experiences. This programme would be ideal for anyone involved with T Levels, new or experienced, as the content is entirely adaptable to your own needs, goals and context. If you are considering applying, I would say be really personal and honest in your application, and prepare to fully commit and throw yourself in wholeheartedly. Be ready to open up and discuss thoughts, goals and worries. But also be prepared for the benefits this course provides, both personally and professionally.
Libby Haughton
Programme Area Manager -
Health and Social Care, Child Education and Business
Lancaster and Morecambe College
To read more about the T Level Leadership Mentoring Programme, click here.
To apply for the Spring 2025 cohort (closing date 24 January 2025), click here.