The Speed Mentoring Event at the APPrO conference continued its upward trend in 2017, attracting more participants than ever before. Hosted by Women in Renewable Energy (WiRE) the initiative is designed to help new professionals entering the energy field by facilitating interaction with experienced mentors who have long careers in the energy sector. The most recent event, the third in a series, hosted 60 participants, and took place at the 29th Annual Canadian Power Conference on November 20th, 2017.
WiRE Speed Mentoring events are designed for students and new professionals, both men and women, to receive mentorship and feedback from experienced industry professionals in Ontario’s energy sector. At the November 20 event, mentees came from backgrounds in STEM, R&D, innovation, clean technology and sustainability. Mentees included students and recent graduates who are eager to work in the energy sector, young professionals looking to progress within the industry, as well as experienced individuals who are looking to transition to the energy sector.
WiRE and APPrO first launched the speed mentoring event in 2015. The success of the event led the organizations to remount the event in 2016 and again in 2017. Positive feedback continues to come in, with the number of participants increasing year after year. Mentors report that they enjoy participating as it affords them opportunities to share their sector knowledge as well as to recruit new talent. Mentees benefit by learning about the types of work that are available in the energy sector, as well as finding leads for recruitment opportunities. For many mentors and mentees, the Speed Mentoring event becomes the start of a long-term relationship.
Feedback from 2017 mentors and mentees included the following comments:
• “Great initiative with an amazing purpose!” – mentor
• “Diversity of mentees looking for change. Very refreshing.” – mentor
• “Truly support this great initiative! One of a kind in this industry.” – mentor
• “I love providing information about my many years of experience as a woman in a predominantly male industry.” – mentor
• “I wrote a thank you letters to the mentors. One of them invited me for a company tour.” – mentee
• “I enjoyed networking with other individuals (young and female) in my desired field.” – mentee
• “I enjoyed learning about different roles in the power sector and it was most beneficial for me to confirm the things I wanted to do and didn’t want to do in a job.” – mentee
• “I really appreciated the advice and experience of the mentors. It was beneficial to have the opportunity to meet with more than one mentor.” – mentee
• “The highlight of the event was the chance to connect with experienced/senior professionals in the field, especially the chance to connect with female professionals of this level.” – mentee
After the speed mentoring event, the mentors and mentees also participated in the networking reception hosted by APPrO.
See also the following related stories on previous Speed Mentoring events:
Speed mentoring success at APPrO 2015.