The Challenge

Attracting and retaining women in Australia’s most remote workplaces

The Australian Women in Resources Alliance (AWRA) is an initiative led by industry employer group Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA), specifically tasked with helping employers increase female workforce participation in the resources, allied and related construction sectors.

Mentoring was identified early as a way to attract women to the sector and support them to stay. AWRA was provided Australian Government funding to develop a mentoring program — but the nature of the resources sector created significant barriers to delivering an effective program.

Resources jobs are often in extremely remote locations, making face-to-face mentoring impossible for many participants. Complex roster systems made connecting mentoring partners unusually difficult. AWRA decided to pursue e-mentoring, an approach that had yet to be implemented on a large scale in Australia, and approached Art of Mentoring to assist with the program.

The Solution

Australia’s first large-scale virtual mentoring program

A virtual mentoring program was developed and rolled out in early 2013. The first phase ran from February 2013 to May 2014 and included 100 mentoring pairs. Learnings from this experience informed the design of a second phase, which concluded mid-2018.

Each mentoring cohort ran for nine months across both phases. Communication between mentors and mentees was conducted via telephone, Skype and email, enabling pairs to connect regardless of their location across Australia.

Rather than a self-serve model, the program was structured in cohorts so participants felt connected to a wider group and could build connections with fellow participants — particularly important given the isolation many experienced in remote locations.

Platform and Tools

How the program evolved across two phases

Online Matching Platform
An online platform provided the algorithm for computer-generated mentor/mentee matching, a central hub for applications and communications, and an online portal for mentoring resource materials. After a number of mismatches in Phase 1, the algorithm was improved for Phase 2.

Screening Video
Added in Phase 2 after an unacceptable mentee drop-out rate in Phase 1. A 20-minute video outlining program expectations was made compulsory viewing for all mentees before final admission. The drop-out rate halved as a result.

Live Webinars
Live webinars conducted by Art of Mentoring were the primary training tool in Phase 1, and continued in Phase 2. Separate training webinars were run for mentors and mentees at the outset, at three months, and at the conclusion of the program.

Multimedia Online Training

Introduced in Phase 2 to complement webinars. The suite included video demonstrations of key mentoring skills, mentor and mentee interviews and downloadable mentoring tools — proving more effective than reliance on webinars alone.

Regular evaluation built into every phase

Participants were asked to provide evaluation immediately after matching, after three months, and at the conclusion of the program. In Phase 2, an additional evaluation was added one year after commencing — providing valuable medium to long-term impact data.

Key Learnings

What four years of virtual mentoring taught us

Virtual Mentoring Works
Properly managed, a virtual mentoring program can be just as effective as face-to-face. Program evaluation scores were found to be very similar to those expected from a well-run, traditional program.

Virtual Mentoring Opens New Opportunities
Virtual mentoring provides access to the most appropriate mentor from anywhere in the country, regardless of geography — something impossible to achieve in a face-to-face model.

Virtual Mentoring Requires Careful Administration
Because of the nature of virtual relationships, mentoring pairs require greater follow-up than in a face-to-face program. Program managers play a key role in building the momentum of the mentoring relationship.

Quality Training Materials Are Essential

High quality training materials must be developed or sourced to ensure participants have the skills needed for a successful relationship. Multimedia online training modules proved more effective than reliance on webinars alone.

Industry Impacts

Moving the dial on female participation in resources

During the period the program ran, there was a measurable improvement in female participation in the mining sector — up from 15.7% in 2014 to 16.1% in 2017. Perhaps more significant was the increase in female presence in senior ranks, with women in key management personnel roles rising from 26.1% in 2014 to 29.7% in 2017.

While many factors influence workforce participation, the AWRA e-Mentoring Program demonstrated that structured, well-managed virtual mentoring can play a meaningful role in supporting women to enter, stay and advance in the resources sector.