Applications Now Open for the fifth Elevate Mentorship Scheme
Applications are now open for the fifth edition of the Elevate Mentorship Scheme, which will start in January 2025. Sponsored by OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant technology, this six-month programme is designed to support restaurant owners from Black, Asian, and other ethnic minority backgrounds.
Through Elevate, participants will be paired with influential leaders in the hospitality industry who will offer valuable knowledge, feedback, and advice, helping mentees achieve their business and career aspirations.
Since its launch in 2021, the scheme has empowered over 100 mentees and offered more than 600 hours of mentorship. 70% of mentees from the previous four cohorts have achieved their career or business goals.
What is Mentorship?
Mentorship is a professional relationship in which one seeks guidance from a more experienced or knowledgeable person. In a hospitality context, mentorship is key to career and business growth. Topics covered in mentorship can range from business advice to confidence-building, networking opportunities, business change, and business expansion.
Benefits of Mentorship
For mentees, mentorship offers an accelerated path to professional development, gaining insights and advice that might otherwise take years to accumulate. Mentors also benefit by giving back, sharing their expertise, and supporting the next generation of hospitality leaders. The relationship often leads to a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas and expands professional networks.
Why We Advocate for Mentorship
We understand that while there is significant demand for mentorship, access to mentors isn’t always easy.
Our research, the Inside Hospitality Report 2023, surveyed over 3,000 UK hospitality professionals and found that Black and Asian respondents were most likely to view mentorship as a critical support mechanism for career progression. Specifically, 76.9% of Black and 64.7% of Asian respondents expressed a strong interest in mentorship, compared to 59.9% of those from Mixed ethnicity backgrounds and 52.1% of White respondents.
Elevate Mentorship Scheme: Scheme Details
- Introductory workshop
- Ten places available for eligible applicants
- Six hours of mentorship over six months
- Networking events
- Access to a peer-to-peer WhatsApp group
What Our 2023 Cohort Had to Say:
“A great way to give yourself the space and time to think about your goals and hold yourself accountable in progressing your business.”
Anoushica Matthews, Founder of Sweet Spice Wines
“A wonderful journey that facilitated my personal and professional growth while gaining a new friend along the way.”
Dylan Ambasna-Jones, Bartender
“An opportunity to open doors to knowledge and perspectives that were previously inaccessible.”
Paramjit Nagra, Co-Founder of Crazy Gin
How to Apply
Applications for the 2025 Elevate Mentorship Scheme are open until 30th September 2024, 11:59 PM. Terms and conditions apply, and you can read the full details and submit your application here.