Looking for a template for a mentoring or coaching program

How large is the startup? I would ask yourselves if those things are really necessary? You may spend a ton of time trying to come up with a training plan, only to find it was flawed, you lose interns, etc.

I would think something more informal and flexible would make sense for your first go-round. If you've got the resources/money then by all means go for it, but most large companies haven't even figured out how to do this well.

Also guessing that if you put your best people in charge of training/coaching mentoring the interns in this formal program, they won't be developing/marketing themselves. Could end up being costly. Sit them next to your best people and start giving them tasks. Trial by fire baby!

I just think it's a little resource heavy for an early stage startup. Everyone should be contributing to the product. Especially if this is a temporary intern situation.

If you're a more seasoned startup, then ignore my answer :) You can ignore it anyway since it's only one mans opinion - but I would focus my efforts in areas closer to shipping the product.

Not sure if this is as formal as you want, but the Harvard Business Review blogs here:

http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/

have great posts about leadership, employee development etc. I won't call out my favourite authors there so you get a chance to read it all and choose your own but I have found it really helpful.

An example of one I read recently spoke about maximising use of your time. It suggested when getting a coffee, bring along an employee. The informal atmosphere of a coffee (and the approach to get one) can make them feel more at ease. Then spend 5 minutes asking about how things are going (good/bad), 5 minutes discussing any issues they may have raised and the last 5 minutes working through a possible method of overcoming the issue/s in the future.

Has stuck with me since reading and certainly made my coffee trips a lot more productive.