What does the day-to-day work of company mentors look like?

Company mentors are coaches who support employees in difficult situations on behalf of a company (e.g. organizational changes, taking on new tasks, problems in the team). Their most important tasks are

• Supporting employees in dealing with questions and problems in the workplace or in professional or personal change processes
• Support leaders in developing their leadership role, managing conflicts or improving their communication
• Supporting teams and groups in difficult situations
• Depending on the situation and requirements, they take on the role of coach, consultant or trainer
• At the beginning of a new coaching session, you clarify the issue, the framework conditions and the expectations
• They then work with the client to set goals and write an agreement
• Company mentoring takes place in the form of personal discussions during which, for example, solutions, attitude goals and concrete action steps are developed and recorded.
• At the end, they reflect together on the course of the support and plan further steps if necessary

Do you belong to the target group for this training and do you have the necessary personal qualities?

The preparatory courses for the federal professional examination "Company Mentor (BP)" are aimed at:

• People who are interested in accompanying and advising people in their professional environment
• People who deal with people in their everyday work and would like to provide them with even more professional support
• People with coaching, support and training tasks such as trainers, HR managers, managers, teachers, project managers

Company mentors should have the following personal qualities and skills:

• Empathy
• Load capacity
• Observation skills
• strong communication skills
• Willingness to deal with oneself (self-reflection)
• Solution orientation
• Interest in human and organizational issues

Requirements for admission to the federal professional examination "Company mentor"

The following requirements apply for admission to the federal examination "Company Mentor (BP)":

• Federal apprenticeship certificate (EFZ) or equivalent qualification and 4 years of professional experience
• Confirmed participation in at least 9 personal reflection or coaching sessions with a maximum of 3 recognized coaches over a period of 6 months, as well as reflection on the personal development process and writing a progress report during the above-mentioned period of at least 6 months
• Documented implementation of at least 20 individual support sessions with at least three different people

You will find out whether you have been admitted to the professional examination at least three months before the start of the examination with a written notification including reasons and information on legal remedies in the event of rejection.

Note: The requirements, such as professional experience, do not have to be fulfilled until the time of the federal final examination/examination registration. Some schools may be prepared to admit you to a preparatory course for the professional examination for company mentors if you do not (yet) meet the criteria for admission to the federal examination. You must then ensure that you meet the necessary requirements at the time of the examination or examination registration (the responsibility lies with you).

Subject matter and content of the training

Further training to become a company mentor is usually divided into 3 phases:

1. Experience development processes for yourself
   You work alone and in a group on your own topics and experience the effect of a structured approach and support.
2. Acquiring theoretical knowledge and practicing its application
   You will acquire the professional tools of the trade in theory and practice, practise with each other and draw up your own personal support concept.
3. Reflection and exam preparation
   You will deepen your knowledge, carry out your own accompaniment and reflect on your work in supervision.

During the training you will deal with the following topics:

• Personal support concept
• Order clarification
• Preparing, implementing and concluding monitoring processes
• Legal basis and documentation
• Roles and role clarifications
• Shaping relationships
• Conflict management
• Marketing and administration

Costs and financing of further training

The costs vary slightly depending on the provider and duration of the course. On average, the following costs can be expected:

• Course fees: CHF 11,000 to CHF 15,000, half of which will be refunded to you after passing the federal examination (federal contribution)
• Teaching materials, training documents, internal examinations: Approx. CHF 2,000
• Examination fee for the federal professional examination: CHF 2,250.
• Additional costs for self-awareness sessions, supervision and possibly overnight stays in the seminar hotel may also be incurred

Duration of study, number of lessons and learning effort

• The courses are part-time and last approx. 18 months. Depending on the provider, they contain 12 to 22 teaching days, which are spread over approx. 18 months in 3-4 blocks.
• In addition, 4-6 hours per week should be expected for self-study, practice sessions, supervision and participation in learning groups.
• All in all, the total time required by all providers is approximately 560 hours.
• Many schools now offer a mix of face-to-face and online courses (online, hybrid teaching, blended learning) as well as self-study.
• Thanks to the in-service training concept, you can apply and deepen the learning material in practice straight away. Nevertheless, you should allow sufficient time for preparation and follow-up of the lessons and for self-study - how much depends on your prior knowledge, working style and learning speed. We recommend that you allow at least 4-6 hours per week as a precaution.

Note: Some schools offer so-called "taster lessons". This gives you the opportunity to gain an insight into the lessons and the learning atmosphere. Important aspects on the way to a successful graduation. It is best to contact the school of your choice directly for a taster lesson.

Degree, diploma and title

The professional examination for company mentors with a federal certificate takes place annually if at least 15 candidates meet the admission requirements, otherwise every two years. It can be held in German, French or Italian.

Candidates are notified at least 4 weeks before the start of the examination. The invitation includes the examination program (with details of the place and time of the examination as well as permitted aids) and the list of experts.

The professional examination is divided into four parts:

1) Accompanying concept (written, prepared in advance)

The mentoring concept describes the basic principles as well as the procedure for mentoring individuals in their field of work and profession during learning, change and development processes. In the mentoring concept, candidates explain how they prepare, carry out and conclude such mentoring.

2) Thematic work (written, prepared in advance)

In their thematic work, candidates demonstrate that they are capable of networking the various competencies of company mentors. The topic dealt with in the thesis should be practice-oriented and relevant to mentoring.

3) Presentation and technical discussion on examination parts 1 and 2 incl. discussion of the accompanying evidence (oral, 105 minutes)

In this part of the examination, candidates reflect on the previous parts 1 and 2 and also make overarching connections.

4) Live accompaniment (practical, 105 minutes)

Here the candidates show that they are able to carry out an accompaniment. To do this, they are given a description of an initial situation from their relevant work and professional environment, which they prepare in a preparation time of 45 minutes. This is followed by a 60-minute role-play with a role-playing person as a customer.

Diploma and title

Graduates of the professional examination receive a federal certificate and are entitled to use the federally recognized and protected title "Company mentor with federal certificate".

In French: "Mentor d'entreprise avec brevet fédéral"

In Italian: "Mentore aziendale von attestator professionale federale"

In English: "Company Mentor, Federal Diploma of Higher Education" (Attention: No protected title only a recommendation)