Strong mentor-mentee relationships can have transformative impacts on careers, workplaces, and industries as a whole.
It’s for this reason that Kinexus founded The Future Through Collaboration (TFTC) mentoring program, alongside a group of pioneering Defence organisations - with a mission to address gender diversity in the defence industry.
Ever since its inauguration in 2015, the award winning, industry-led mentoring program has been committed to empowering women within the historically male-dominated industry - and in doing so, more broadly, enhancing Australia’s Defence capability.
Chair and founding member, Amelia De Angelis says the idea came about as a solutions’ based response to an ongoing challenge. “There were some issues around attracting and retaining women within defence industry roles,” says the Chief Operating Officer at Kinexus.
“Kinexus identified that there was an opportunity to bring organisations together to contemplate this challenge collectively, because it’s not just an individual organisation's challenge. It’s an issue faced by the industry as a whole.” Ms De Angelis says since then, the TFTC mentoring program has had profound impacts both at an individual and industry wide level.
“There are some great tangible examples within participant’s individual stories, where their involvement in the program has created a nurturing space where they can explore what might be possible, and has given them the confidence to go after it,” says Ms De Angelis.
“There's plenty of stories of people putting their hands up for promotions that they wouldn't have, if they hadn’t experienced that supportive space and guidance. So many have been really successful in achieving and growing from there.”
The local industry benefits are backed up by overseas research, from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labour Relations, which found that mentoring programs lifted minority representation at the management level by nine per cent to 24 per cent. That’s compared to minus two per cent, to 18 per cent with other diversity initiatives.
The same study identified that mentoring programs also dramatically improved promotion and retention rates for minorities and women; 15 per cent to 38 per cent as compared to non-mentored employees.
Ms De Angelis says TFTC has been able to break down significant barriers that were once facing women in the defence industry.
“One thing we know about mentorship is that it has a profound positive impact on someone's career trajectory. What we also know is that it is harder for women to access mentorship. In male-dominated industries you see that play out, where there’s a sense that it’s not as accessible for women, who can’t necessarily find the right person to connect with.”
The 2022 program received an array of positive feedback. A mentee stated, "being a part of the TFTC mentoring program has connected me with other women who in the last 12 months have also transitioned to new jobs/careers, have encountered similar issues, and are asking the same questions as me about how to best plan for the future.”
The 2023 program starts on the 7th of September 2023.
For more information on the program and to ask any questions you might have, please get in touch with Sophie Wright, Program Manager at tftc@kinexus.com.au
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