To celebrate National Mentoring Day (27 October), our October employers’ masterclass will explore the importance of mentoring in supporting workplace progression and social mobility.
Mentoring partnerships can range from a localised, informal arrangement to a highly organised, official programme that spans across industries. Participants in mentoring programmes range from students from lower socio-economic backgrounds being matched with employees from a particular industry, to senior leaders being matched with junior members of staff in reverse mentoring programmes.
What different types of mentoring have in common is the mutually beneficial relationship that develops between a mentor and a mentee, where knowledge exchange helps both parties to realise their potential, expand their network and achieve their goals. Mentoring can bring as much value to your organisation as it can to an individual mentee.
At our event, you’ll have the opportunity to hear both a mentor and a mentee’s perspective on the benefits of mentoring schemes, as well as learn more about:
- What to consider when setting up a mentoring programme – the potential challenges as well as opportunities
- How mentoring can support access to an industry
- How mentoring is key for progression opportunities
- How to ensure mentoring supports senior leaders to become inclusive leaders
- What success looks like – how can you measure the impact of mentoring on an individual, an organisation and wider social mobility?
About our Speakers
Eddie Fletcher, Head of Social Mobility, Ministry of Justice People Group
Eddie was part of the team responsible for setting up the award-winning Catapult internal mentoring initiative at the Ministry of Justice, and led the delivery of the full scale cross-government Catapult programme. The Cross Government Catapult Programme has grown from having 1,326 participants in its first year, to 1,712 across 32 government organisation in the latest cohort.
The programme is aimed at supporting staff from lower socio-economic backgrounds to achieve their full potential. The scheme is designed to inspire and support colleagues who self-identify as coming from a lower socio-economic background and to help the MoJ (and subsequently the Civil Service) better reflect the communities it serves at all levels.
Mercy Abel, Mentee from Creative Mentor Network; podcast host of gen z careers podcast, Audacity of We
Mercy works with brands, businesses and teams to gather and analyse insights to help make clients’ marketing campaigns and storytelling more inclusive and was shortlisted for the IPA iList 2022. Mercy is passionate about highlighting positive intersectional representation in media through founded platforms: Into A Black Mind and Strong Black Woman as well as improving knowledge exchange between gen z and today’s leaders on her careers podcast, audacity of we.
Rachel Dolby, Mentor from Mission INCLUDE; Head of Legal – Crop Nutrients, Anglo American
Rachel is a qualified solicitor specialising in projects and infrastructure. She trained at a leading international law firm and moved into industry in 2009, working for the investments division of Balfour Beatty specialising in infrastructure projects.
In 2016, Rachel joined Sirius Minerals plc as Senior Legal Counsel, working with the in-house legal team across a wide range of legal issues. Since 2020, she’s led the Crop Nutrients legal support function at Anglo American, responsible for the provision of legal advice, managing the legal risks and opportunities associated with the Woodsmith Project and the Crop Nutrients business and its subsidiaries, operations, and business plans.
Educated at a comprehensive school in an ex-mining industrial town in Northwest England, and having personally experienced feeling like an outsider in her profession early in her career, Rachel jumped at the chance to be a mentor on the Mission INCLUDE mentoring programme. Her invaluable support contributed to her mentee being promoted during that period.
About Moving Ahead and Mission INCLUDE
Moving Ahead’s mission is to revolutionise the world’s workplaces by advancing diversity, equity and inclusion. They do this by designing and delivering world-leading programmes, content and sessions – with structured developmental mentoring at the heart of their work.
Their Mission INCLUDE programme is part of the world’s largest cross-company mentoring initiative and has had over 16,000 participants, across 30 sectors and 220 companies. Instead of focusing on only one diversity characteristic, as many diversity initiatives and opportunities do, Mission INCLUDE does not operate in these silos and is open to any self-identified diversity characteristic, such as introversion, past experiences, and communication style.
About Creative Mentor Network
Creative Mentor Network was built on the belief that the creative industries should reflect the diversity of our society. Founded in 2014, CMN’s key goal is to create a more accessible and inclusive future for the creative industries, supporting young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds through mentoring programmes. To date, CMN has helped over 1000 young people through their mentoring opportunities with creative partners such as Amazon, Meta, Soho House and Sony Music.