Abstract
BackgroundMentoring is a critical component of career development and job satisfaction leading to a healthier workforce and more productive outputs. However, there are limited data on mentorship models in regional areas and in particular for women aspiring to leadership positions. Mentorship programs that leverage off experienced mentors from diverse disciplines have the potential to foster the transfer of knowledge and to positively influence job satisfaction and build capacity within the context of workforce shortage.MethodsThis study describes a dual-mentorship model of professional development for women working in health in regional and rural Australia. We present the framework and describe the evaluation findings from a 12-month pilot program.ResultsBoth academic and corporate mentors provided diverse perspectives to the mentees during the 12-month period. On average, corporate mentors met with mentees more often, and focused these discussions on strategy and leadership skills whilst academic mentors provided more technical advice regarding academic growth. Mentees reported an improvement in workplace interconnectedness and confidence at the completion of the program.ConclusionWe developed a framework for establishing a professional mentorship program that matches women working in regional health with mentors from diverse sectors including business, government, philanthropy and health, to provide a holistic approach to improving career satisfaction, institutional productivity and supporting a diverse workforce in regional or resource-poor settings.
Highlights
Mentoring is a critical component of career development and job satisfaction leading to a healthier workforce and more productive outputs
Catalyse mentoring program was composed of a diverse group of mentors and mentees The 12-month pilot included nine mentees from northern Australia and one international mentee, with one mentee not completing the pilot (90% completion)
Each mentee was matched with two mentors, five of which were ‘dream’ mentors
Summary
Mentoring is a critical component of career development and job satisfaction leading to a healthier workforce and more productive outputs. There are limited data on mentorship models in regional areas and in particular for women aspiring to leadership positions. Mentorship programs that leverage off experienced mentors from diverse disciplines have the potential to foster the transfer of knowledge and to positively influence job satisfaction and build capacity within the context of workforce shortage. Despite the high overall health status of many Australians, rural and regional areas within this country continue to experience comparatively poor health outcomes [1]. Health inequity is a complex issue which is complicated by workforce shortages [2, 3] and high turnover of staff in regional and remote parts of Australia [4]. While retention of health professionals is a complex issue [5], initiatives to recruit and retain regional and remote staff have
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