“The course is helping me to become a better role model for future generations.”
Patricia Taylor

“Having completed my studies in Estonia before moving to the UK, I was keen to continue my learning, particularly gaining a British qualification. KYRA appealed to me because of its ethos of encouraging people from a variety of backgrounds to study together.
"With the support and encouragement of the course lecturers, I have developed my leadership and analytical skills and now understand much more clearly how a business operates and how each team member’s activities fit into the wider picture.”
Annika Krefta

To apply, or for more information, please contact by email or
telephone 01564 778 141.

Mentors at their training session.

Business Mentors
As part of KYRA’s commitment to develop strong leaders of the future, powerful bosses volunteered to provide ongoing mentoring and practical, hands-on experience.

As leaders of major regional and national companies, the mentors have amassed a wealth of management and business expertise that they are able to share with students.

Alan Jones, chief executive of Apollo Chemicals, has been a mentor since June 2006. He is passionate about empowering people to take on the challenge of social and economic deprivation and delivering effective education and training whilst giving each student a chance to learn from each other’s experiences.

Sat Sembhy, MD of Streetly-based Broadway Kitchens is a fellow mentor. He believes the project is central to the successful regeneration of particularly depressed areas in the West Midlands and that bringing together students from a range of backgrounds is a powerful way of effecting real change.

Mentors visit students in their workplace to discuss their progress in developing skills in leadership and management. They advise on strategies to develop these skills, and evaluate evidence of their progress with the students. A visit is made during each module, and it includes discussion with the student's line manager. A report is prepared for the portfolio of evidence for the student's progress.

New mentors are sought for each year’s intake of students – including business people, leaders of public sector organisations and the voluntary and community sector. The mentor role is an excellent voluntary opportunity ‘to put something back’; all receive full training and are involved in the Course Committee. Alan Jones said of his first visit to his student “I got an awful lot from that. You know when you give like this, you receive something too.”

If you are interested in being a Mentor please contact: office@kyrabirmingham.org.uk