MONTREAL – A dozen female professionals/entrepreneurs were partnered with men and women mentors drawn from the ICT sector at the end of the first training day of the Women in IT Mentorship Project.
The mentor group, made up of successful entrepreneurs and well-known executives, will support their mentee over a period of 12 months, says a press release. This crucial step will serve to validate the preparatory work initiated in May 2015. The 12 are preparing to discuss specific issues such as leadership, networking, work/family life/education balance, and the creation of a long-term professional vision.
The objective of the project is to enable women working in ICT to access senior roles within their organizations and support them in their quest for growth, thus assisting their economic progression. The Quebec Technology Association (AQT) effort is funded by Status of Women Canada and is aimed at women working within the industry.
Last January the AQT launched a recruitment campaign to identify an initial cohort of women wishing to obtain support for their professional journey. Among the 30 requests received, 12 female executives and entrepreneurs were assigned a mentor for a period of one year. At the end of this period, an external evaluation of the project, including validation of learnings, will be conducted, leading to the final step in the process: the institution of a referral centre to provide support tools and a mentorship toolkit, reads the release.
"As our industry faces a dual challenge of recruiting qualified resources and retention, she cannot afford to pass up talent. As a result, we want to create conditions that are favourable to women advancing their careers and most importantly, remaining in the ICT industry. This will bring a breath of fresh air to this critically important sector of the Quebec economy," said Nicole Martel, AQT CEO, in the release.
