In partnership with BT Sport, the ALMR, BII, and in a pub, Athena Mentoring has just been launched as a pilot programme which aims to contribute to the career advancement of women in the UK pub industry. The pilot stage will take place over one year and the selected mentees will be paired with a personal mentor – key leaders and influencers from around the sector.
Over a series of one-to-one sessions, mentees will work with their mentor on pre-defined development areas, unique to each participant. Mentees will be drawn directly from the UK pub industry, and only women can apply to be mentees
The Objectives
The aim is to make a small contribution to the career advancement of women in the pub industry, driving equal opportunities and giving females the self-confidence to succeed in an industry where they are largely underrepresented at board level.
It will offer practical support to allow women to help themselves on their chosen career path within the pub industry and, by doing so, contribute in some way to the already changing culture and attitudes within the retail licensed trade.
Applicants needed
Emma Causer, Commercial Account Director at BT Sport and Creator of Athena Mentoring, has written a blog describing the launch of Athena Mentoring:
“A day I never thought I would quite see arrived yesterday, and it was brilliant. We launched Athena Mentoring. It is the first mentoring scheme of its kind in the pub industry, and its aim is simple: We want to support a new generation of women in the pub industry, we want to find the future leaders.
“I have worked in and around the pub industry for over 20 years, and like the consumer of days gone by, it’s been dominated by men, like many other industries. But it’s time for a change, so many pub customers are female, so many of the brands are female orientated, so why are women still so under-represented on pub company boards?
“I’ve found some great mentors, people I have respected and admired in the industry, and they are willing to impart their knowledge and help and support the new talent. But there is now one thing missing, and that is applicants/mentees, so please take a look at our website here, and see if you or someone you work with would be suitable. Also you can follow us on twitter on @athenamentoring.”