Civil Service Mentorship Programme Opens

The Family Resource Centre (FRC) is pleased to announce that registration for their 'Empowered Women, Empower Women' Mentorship Programme opens today (Monday, 2 May 2022).

FRC, with the endorsement of the Portfolio of the Civil Service (PoCS), developed the mentorship programme to provide young female civil servants with healthy peer relationships and one-on-one mentoring with experienced professionals, to foster development and professional growth. It is intended that the programme will expand to include young males in the near future, to ensure gender equality efforts are inclusive and diverse.

FRC announced the launch of the Civil Service Mentorship Programme during Honouring Women Month (March 2022). The programme hopes to assist in developing skills that benefit career advancement; supports succession planning, creates diversity, and aids in the recruitment and retention of highly-skilled civil servants. Additionally, this initiative intends to kickstart a strong support network for women within the Civil Service.

"We are pleased to see this being launched by FRC in partnership with PoCS, which will expand the talent development tools within the Cayman Islands Government and will undoubtedly assist women in their roles within the workplace, home and our community," said Deputy Governor and Head of the Civil Service, Hon. Franz Manderson.

"A key piece of this programme will be that it is delivered by women for the benefit of other women, and seeks to remove barriers and to pave the way for others to have a seat at the table, to enjoy diverse careers in areas where women may currently be either underrepresented or unrepresented," he added.

FRC's Clinical Supervisor, Charmaine Miller, introduced the programme to inspire and empower the next generation of female leaders in the Civil Service: "A large majority of the population within our civil service consists of women. We've also seen an increase of young women entering the civil service, and the need to support and guide them further," she said.

Mentors and mentees are expected to meet regularly and to fulfill their shared commitments within the partnership. Mentors will work collaboratively with mentees on their development goals and furthering their networking opportunities. The pilot launch of this programme will be for six months, and involve at least monthly meetings during this time.

Mentorship Programme Structure

Steps towards engaging in mentorship are as follows:

1) Application: Eligible civil servants, who are interested in becoming mentors or mentees, are required to complete the online mentorship application form.
2) The mentoring committee: A committee will be responsible for matching mentees and mentors, taking into consideration their interests and professional development needs.
3) Mentorship training: Training sessions will introduce mentoring, and will outline the roles and expectations of mentors and mentees. Additional workshops to further strengthen the mentees' skills and career development will also be offered (in partnership with internal and external stakeholders).
4) Mentorship meetings: Mentors and mentees will be expected to meet at least once a month to discuss their mentorship agreement with specific, actionable goals in mind and within professional or community settings. Meetings will be held over a period of six to 12 months.
5) Graduation: Mentors and mentees will celebrate their completion of the mentorship programme. Mentoring relationships are encouraged to evolve on an informal basis, as long as it is mutually beneficial.

Mentorship enrolment opens Monday, 2 May 2022. The online mentorship application form can be found here: https://form.jotform.com/220976269412865

For more information, please email [email protected].

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