Advance
The mentoring programme designed by women in transport for women in transport
“TXM Group is incredibly proud to support the Advance mentoring programme for the seventh consecutive year.
It’s been a real privilege to support this rewarding programme from both a company and personal perspective.
Mentoring is a gift, the key that unlocks potential. To give someone your time to grow, develop and to overcome a challenge, simply by passing on the parcel of knowledge is a true privilege.”
- Gary Lincoln, Group Director, TXM Group
Our Advance mentoring programme is structured to address the needs of professional women in transport seeking to develop and progress their career.
Applications for the 2018 pilot launched in September 2017. The programme has supported more than 300 mentees and mentors to date. The programme is designed by Sonya Byers, our Chief Executive, and Angela Gainsford, a long standing member of Women in Transport, and will, this year, be delivered by Angela Gainsford and Steve Griffiths, our Events & Professional Development Lead.
Mentoring has the potential to be a powerful personal development and empowerment tool. It is a reciprocal partnership between two people, normally working in a similar field or sharing similar experiences, based upon mutual trust and respect.
Mentoring allows the mentee to explore new ideas in a safe environment. It is an opportunity for learning and development for both the mentee and mentor. The process is about developing greater self-awareness and taking responsibility for the direction of your career.
Advance alumni
“I have thoroughly enjoyed and benefitted from the Women in Transport Advance mentoring scheme. My mentor was absolutely wonderful and I was surprised by how well matched we were. It was really useful to have the chance to be talk with someone external, who you could be completely honest with and receive critical feedback, as well as having them be your monthly cheerleader. The opportunity to connect and network with other mentees was also extremely valuable and it was comforting to speak with other women in the field who feel a similar way and have comparable experiences. For anyone debating on whether to sign up I would say, absolutely go for it!”
Sophie Randall, Innovation Lead – Mobility and Cities, Clean Growth and Infrastructure, Innovate UK
Caz Conneller - Founder and Consultant, Cyclechic.co.uk
“My objective at the beginning of the programme was to answer quite a broad question: How do I progress my career? The Advance mentoring programme has 100% helped with this process.
Feeling stuck in a rut with my business and not feeling like I was achieving at the level I wanted to, I knew I needed to move on and progress and change things in my career but I didn’t know where to start. Talking it through with my mentor in the first few sessions really boosted my confidence, it felt amazing and validating to have someone who is incredibly successful in her own career in the Transport Industry, invest her time, energy, enthusiasm and expertise in helping me!
The pairing of my mentor was also ‘spot on’ and Nina is a fellow founder and entrepreneur and although in a different sector in transport she had a deep understanding of what I was going through and incredibly constructive, useful advice. The mentoring programme opened up a process that I don’t think I could have gone on alone to discover exactly where I wanted to go with my career. Nina introduced me to ideas and ways of thinking that I would never have discovered on my own. She has helped me make decisions, stick to decisions and change decisions when necessary. And also helped me stay positive and deal with the ups and down and stress of trying to change and shift my career.
I am now, almost a year on from applying, in a much better position and whilst my future career is not mapped out in front of me, I have found a direction and opportunities I dreamed of are now coming to me. It has given me confidence to think big and go for things in a way I was holding back from before the mentoring. I have also been incredibly inspired by the way my mentor operates, she is inspirational and the way she runs her business with personality and vibrant energy and passion. This has been a hugely positive influence on me and something I will take with me to shape my future career and business.”
Eligibility for Advance
Mentors: Any manager level or above, regardless of gender, who currently works in or is affiliated with the transport sector can apply to be a mentor for Advance. You must be a member of Women in Transport or WISTA UK throughout the programme year and be prepared to offer six one-hour sessions to your mentee between January and September 2025. New mentors who have not previously mentored for the Advance programme must attend a training session in November 2024.
Mentees: Any member of Women in Transport or WISTA UK who identifies as a woman can apply to be a mentee on Advance. You must be a member of Women in Transport or WISTA UK throughout the programme year, be prepared to commit to the mentoring relationship and attend the training session in November 2024. You will need to dedicate time to prepare for meetings and meet your mentor who will be gifting their time and experience to support you.
Being a mentor
The role of a mentor is to provide a safe environment for their mentee to determine their personal and professional priorities and support the development of solutions to particular issues. The process will include adapting your personal style to empathise with your mentee, providing guidance without becoming personally involved and encouraging self-awareness and self-confidence through your experience and support. Being a mentor can help you see the world from a different point of view and provide access to a wider network of professionals.
Being a mentee
As a mentee, it is your role to drive the mentoring relationship by identifying the objective and the level and nature of the advice and support that you are seeking from your mentor. Be prepared to be challenged, listen and be listened to and be open to new ideas. The relationship is intended to empower you to develop your self-confidence and progress your career in the direction you choose whilst helping you grow your professional network.
Advance 2025
The Women in Transport Advance mentoring programme runs virtually, including training sessions, one-to-one mentoring and engagement sessions. There are 45 places available for Advance 2025.
Stage 1 - Application: October 2024
Complete the application questionnaire to be a mentor or mentee. You will need to complete the questionnaire and attend the training session to qualify for the programme. We cannot guarantee that you will be successfully matched as this will depend on the number of applications and our ability to match you based on the information you provide. Returning mentors do not have to attend the training.
Stage 2 - Training: November 2024
Mentors and mentees will be invited to one virtual training session via Zoom with Angela and Steve. Training is compulsory for mentees and for new mentors to qualify for the programme and is part of the pairing process. In this interactive workshop, we will help you prepare for your mentoring relationship, share insights from previous cohorts, go through the toolkit and answer your questions.
During the application, you can select your preferred training date so please save the dates you select in your diary.
New Mentor Sessions
Tuesday 12 November 2024 - 13:15 - 15:30
Thursday 14 November 2024 - 13:15 - 15:30
Wednesday 20 November 2024 - 13:15 - 15:30
Mentee Sessions
Tuesday 12 November 2024 - 10:00 - 12:15
Thursday 14 November 2024 - 10:00 - 12:15
Wednesday 20 November 2024 - 10:00 - 12:15
Stage 3 - Matching: November 2024
Angela and Steve will pro-actively undertake the screening process to pair suitable mentors and mentees. You may be matched with a mentor of any gender. We always try to match outside of your organisation. Our aim is to match you with an individual who can support your specific objectives so they may be someone outside of your field of expertise. Our matching for 2023 was scored 9/10 (10 being excellent) by both mentees and mentors.
Stage 4 - Mentoring: January - September 2025
All pairs will receive an email after the training confirming their match and as an introduction to each other. We ask our mentors to commit to providing six, one hour sessions between January and September 2025. In practice, some pairs will not use all six sessions and others may decide to meet more frequently. This would be agreed between the individual pairs after being introduced. There is no obligation on our volunteer mentors to offer more than six sessions.
Stage 5 - Engagement: December 2024 - September 2025
We are committed to supporting you in establishing and maintaining a positive mentoring relationship. Mentor and mentee engagement during the programme provides a forum for peer-to-peer networking, sharing and support.
Marina Garyfalou and Natalia Martins were Advance mentees in 2022 and now volunteer their time as Mentee Engagement Leads. There will be an optional WhatsApp group for mentees to help you stay connected during the programme.
Cecilia Harvey, an experienced Advance mentor and coach, with a background in Social Anthropology and who's DEI consultancy business focuses on personal growth, collaborations and communication through knowledge sharing, will undertake the role as Mentor Engagement Lead.
There will be three peer to peer engagement sessions. These informal sessions facilitated by the Engagement Leads provide networking and have the following purpose:
December 2024: Opportunity to go through the toolkit and agreement in more detail, ask for advice and share experience ahead of your first mentoring session
April 2025: Gathering your feedback at the mid-point of the programme, assess and reflect on your progress and plans for making the most of your final sessions
September 2025: Capturing your feedback at the end of programme, reflecting on your experience and discussing how you are closing out your mentoring relationship
It is not compulsory to attend these sessions but we have found that mentees and mentors greatly appreciate these opportunities to network, connect and share experiences.
Mentor Engagement Sessions - Dates for your diary
Session 1: 9th December 2024
Session 2: 7th April 2025
Session 3: 15th September 2025
Mentee Engagement Sessions - Dates for your diary
Session 1: 11th December 2024
Session 2: 2nd April 2025
Session 3: 17th September 2025
As a Women in Transport member, you will also benefit from plenty of opportunities to network in person and virtually with the wider membership community and we encourage you to be an active member to grow your network and skills.
Stage 6 - Review
An online survey will be sent to all mentees and mentors in April and September 2025 to gather feedback. This feedback is invaluable in supporting the continuous improvement of the programme.
Mentoring: Advice & Guidance
Find out more about Advance including alumni sharing their experiences and our tips for applying.
Information session with mentors and mentees about what you can gain from mentoring through the Advance programme.
A conversation with Gary Lincoln, TXM Group, Group Director sharing why supporting Women in Transport matters.
Workshop delivered to TfL’s Women's Staff Network Group in 2019.
Advance 2020 alumni share their advice for making the most of your mentoring relationship.
Sponsors
Our annual Advance mentoring programme has been made possible by the invaluable support of our corporate partners. It is thanks to their generosity that the programme remains accessible for all members of Women in Transport. A special thanks to TXM Group and Xanta for their continued and sustained support since the pilot programme.
WISTA UK (Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association) is an international networking organisation whose mission is to attract and support women, at the management level, in the maritime, trading and logistics sectors.
TXM Group is a global organisation providing resourcing and consultancy solutions worldwide, specialising in Engineering, Healthcare, and Technology. Formed by Engineers, TXM Group works closely with leading industry clients to source and place the highest quality talent, as well as offer data-driven strategic development services led by a team of experienced project leaders.
Xanta is a rail engineering management consultancy specialising in rail and other guided systems, providing all aspects of rail technical management and delivery, engineering services, strategic organisational support and interim staff. Xanta has extensive experience with tram, light rail, metro, mainline and freight railways in the UK and abroad, and proven success at delivering projects, technical reports and investigations, bringing together consultant teams with the right skills and experience. Xanta assists its clients in getting the best out of transport assets and systems, improving performance and results, is on both the TfL Rail Engineering PSFW and the DfT STAR Two Frameworks.
Network for Skills is a small consultancy that provides services in the people and behaviour space. We believe that getting this “people bit” right is a key enabler for an organisation’s success and that it requires real focus. We provide executive mentoring and coaching for individual leaders and teams. We support organisations with team development and performance, diversity & inclusion and change & engagement. We work across both the private and public sectors with organisations of all sizes, directly or in partnership with others. We are suppliers to Transport for London, Train Operating Companies and National Rail; and outside transport, to companies in the education, logistics, pharma, and consultancy sectors. We are proud to be a member of Women in Transport, and to be associated with both the Advance and Lead programmes.
Camilleri Appointments is run by the Owner and Managing Director Karen Camilleri. The business specialises in senior level interim and permanent places across a range of sectors with a specialism across all modes of transport. Set up in 2019 they are growing rapidly in their reputation and reach. Delivering a positive experience to all users of the service is at the heart of their work. Website is
Momentum Transport Consultancy is a leading integrated, people-first transport consultancy. The company creates transport strategies and solutions that inform, integrate with and are integral to, every aspect of the built environment today and for the future. The company’s three core areas of specialism are planning, insight & analytics and engineering.
ALBUM is the Association of Local Bus Company Managers and exists to provide a forum to exchange best practice among its members and to influence policy, for the promotion of high quality services that encourage more people to travel by bus.
Caledonian MacBrayne is the major operator of passenger and vehicle ferries to the west coast of Scotland, serving ports on the mainland and 22 of the major islands.
DFDS is an international shipping and logistics company.
Designed by women in transport
I am a longtime member and enthusiastic supporter of Women in Transport. I am thrilled to have been able to create, in collaboration with Sonya, the Advance mentoring programme for our members.
I am Chief Executive of Women in Transport and have been a member since 2008. The response to Advance has been phenomenal from mentees, mentors and across industry. It has become a flagship programme and I am incredibly proud to be actively supporting the professional development of our members.
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