ABSTRACT
Collaboration, leadership, self-direction, oral communication, intercultural skills, civic engagement and critical thinking are all skills that can be developed as part of a mentoring role and these are all highly valued by universities and employers alike. This ID Pilots peer mentoring group benefited the entire Industrial Design discipline, including staff and alumni, as it fostered a close community culture. There have been so many positives that have resulted from the formation and running of the ID Pilots peer mentoring group. Most of these are very closely aligned with the existing literature, and the author will cover these in some detail dividing the information in three key areas: positive outcomes for the student mentees; the peer mentors; and the staff and institution involved. More broadly, our group benefits the School of Design as it serves as a model for other peer mentoring groups and helps reduce attrition.
