Earlier this year CBI Scotland and ScottishPower joined forces to develop the Scottish Leaders Mentoring Scheme that aims to help bring through a new generation of female business leaders in Scotland.
Two months on from launch, the matching of candidates to mentors has been completed and we’re delighted with the results.
We’ve been able to partner over 45 women with over 20 leaders from some of Scotland’s most successful firms, public bodies and academic institutions.
From KPMG to Aberdeen Standard, HALO Urban Regeneration to Glasgow University, we’ve got a range of sectors and businesses covered. A full list of participants is available on the Scheme’s website.
With too few women making the jump from management to senior and executive roles, it’s clear that more needs to be done to overcome barriers and clear a pathway for women to break through to the boardroom. The ethos of the Scheme is to achieve just that.
While legal protections against sexual discrimination in the workplace exits, the law can be a blunt implement for delivering meaningful change. Power structures and exclusionary cultures need to be changed within companies across the country and mentoring can be a powerful tool to achieve that goal.
Scotland has the talent, we just need to support and encourage it. Sometimes a simple word of encouragement, a different perspective on a challenge or recognition of a shared experience can be all it needs to open up a world of possibilities for any one individual.
Further information about the Scheme is available at 'About the Scheme'. A second intake is planned for later this year, and if you are interested please get in touch via the ‘Contact Us’ section of the Scheme website.
Follow @CBI_Scotland and @ScottishPower for all the latest news about the Scheme and use the hashtags #ScotLeadersMentoring, #PressforProgress and #GenderBalance to get involved in the conversation.
By Tracy Black - Director, CBI Scotland