SKILLS


The pandemic has hit young women the hardest – but mentoring can help them


Employers play a central role when it comes to improving young people’s access to the labour market, helping them to build skills needed for future success. Fiona Porter (pictured), a leadership mindset trainer and coach, explains the importance of mentoring – especially to young women.


Young people have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, not just with getting into work, but also with their mental health. The Prince’s Trust Youth Index 2021 reports


that 24% of young people say the pandemic has destroyed their career hopes. This has a knock- on effect for employers looking to recruit young people into their organisation. As employers, we can provide opportunities


for young people to access work experience, employment, training opportunities and provide ongoing support during this difficult period. Young women are more likely to think that


building their self-confidence will be the biggest challenge when pursuing a career; young women worry about “not being good enough in general”. In addition, young women in work feel they


need opportunities to develop their skills before they can think about getting a better job. An alarming number of young people feel confined by their circumstances and are at risk of stagnating in jobs that don’t enable them to reach their full potential. To give all young women the opportunity to


fulfil their potential, we need to provide the right help to nurture, empower and inspire them – building their self-confidence, resilience, mindset and self-belief so they can achieve their goals and overcome challenges. This is where mentoring can have a positive impact.


WHAT IS MENTORING? Mentoring is primarily about developing capability and potential. Julie Starr describes mentoring as “a distinct relationship where one person (the mentor) supports the learning, development and progress of another person (the mentee). A mentor provides support by offering information, advice and assistance in a way that empowers the mentee.” Companies that introduce mentoring


programmes demonstrate tangible increases in productivity and efficiency, as well as intangible benefits such as improved staff morale and greater career satisfaction.


HOW MENTORING IS BEING USED TO SUPPORT YOUNG WOMEN As business leaders, we need to support today’s young women to succeed in any role they choose by offering exposure to career paths in a variety of roles, role models and opportunities. An initiative I am currently involved with is the


D2N2 Women in Construction mentoring project in partnership with The Prince’s Trust and local schools, working with female mentors from the construction industry. Its aim is to change the way young women


perceive the industry, with a view to encouraging more to consider this sector as a viable career choice, while developing key transferable


employability skills at the same time. Hopefully, this initiative will be rolled out to other sectors.


THE BENEFITS OF MENTORING I’ve seen first-hand the power mentorship can have – the tremendous impact on a young woman’s life and aspirations and how it can help them to achieve their full potential, as well as give them the employability skills businesses are looking for. When young women are mentored, first in the


classroom and later in the workplace, they are better prepared to tackle their future with confidence and ambition. Young women need a greater access to opportunities, but also the confidence to seize those opportunities and the skills to thrive in them. It has never been more important to come together, bridge the gap between education and the workplace, and to ensure that everyone is equipped with the skills they need to enter and progress in work.


Fiona Porter is a volunteer mentor with The Prince’s Trust and the Derby-based charity Enterprise for Education (E4E). To find out more about how you could get involved with mentoring, email fiona@fionaporter.co.uk


Training for the next generation of managers


The next generation of leaders and managers at a Derby-based insurance broker will be trained by a fellow Chamber strategic partner in a new link-up. Aston Lark has joined up with


Access Training to use its team leading and management apprenticeship scheme for developing talent within the firm. Nicky Webb, learning and


development business partner at Aston Lark, a top five independent chartered insurance broker in the UK, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Access Training. “It comes highly recommended


and we can't wait to see what our staff go on to achieve after receiving the training.” Access Training, based in


Nottingham, is one of the region’s longest established independent training providers.


84 business network March 2021


The partnership will develop talent at Aston Lark


Managing director Corrina Hembury added: “It’s great to be able to form this partnership with another strategic partner of the Chamber, and come together to train up-and-coming management talent via innovative remote e- learning. “People don’t always think of


apprenticeships for management training, but the new employer-led standards provide an excellent framework for developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to lead in today’s complex and ever-changing business world.” As well as management


apprenticeships, Access offers apprenticeships in customer services, housing property management, housing property maintenance, team leadership, business administration, adult social care and bricklaying.


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