Board Directors: Directing Change Mentorship Program

Mentor a leader with disability

The Directing Change Mentoring Program has been developed to address the under representation of people with disability in Australian boardrooms. 

You will have the unique opportunity to mentor a leader with disability who is eager to their build boardroom and governance knowledge. 

The Program has been designed as a professional development opportunity that is mutually beneficial to mentors and mentees, and brings value back to your organisation. 

Applications for this program have closed.

As a mentor you will:  

  • support the career development of a leader with disability through eight one-on-one mentoring sessions; 
  • build your understanding of the barriers experienced by people with disability in the workforce; 
  • increase your confidence and capability to ensure the boardroom(s) you participate in are accessible and inclusive to all leaders;
  • enrich your leadership skills through being challenged to see new perspectives; 
  • gain practical insights on disability and inclusion that can drive your organisation’s environmental, social and governance strategy (or similar strategy designed to create value for all your organisational stakeholders); 
  • access expert mentoring resources and support provided by Australian Disability Network; 
  • connect to a group of talented leaders with disability. 

By supporting you to participate in this program, your organisation and board will be showing leadership in disability inclusion. The knowledge and disability confidence that you will develop through the program will enable you to actively drive change in your organisation to become more disability inclusive. 

Cost

$700 plus GST

We encourage Boards to support their directors to be mentors.  This is an excellent professional development opportunity and provides learnings on accessibility that the entire Board can benefit from. Invoices can be made directly to the Board or organisation.

Key dates

  • Applications open: Tuesday, 13 June, 2023
  • Applications close: Sunday, 30 July at midnight (AEST)
  • Applicants advised of outcomes: week commencing Monday, 14 August 2023
  • Payments due: Friday, 8 September 2023
  • Program briefing session for mentors: September 2023
  • Program duration: September 2023 to April 2024

Contact us

If you would like to speak to someone about the program and/or the application process please contact Dragan Tomic, Directing Change Project Officer via email or call 03 7032 3527 

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Why mentor through the Australian Disability Network? 

The Australian Disability Network has over 20 years of expertise in guiding organisations on their disability inclusion journey. We offer a range of mentoring programs including the PACE Mentoring program which has been successfully completed by over 2000 people with disability. 96% of our PACE mentors stated they would participate in the program again.

Question 2: What will be my time commitment for this program?

Answer 2:

  • Mentor and mentee pairs will meet eight times over the eight months of the program, with the opportunity to work through a range of activities surrounding career development, boardroom insights, professional networking, and confidence building.
  • The sessions may be between 1-2 hours each, with the mentor and mentee agreeing on date and times that work best for them.
  • These meetings can be face-to-face where possible, or online.
  • Mentor briefing session for 90 minutes prior to commencing the program. 

Question 3: Do I need to be a member of a professional governance organisation to mentor?
Answer 3: No.

Question 4: Does my organisation need to be an Australian Disability Network member? 

Answer 4: No. This program is open to all organisations with directors who meet the eligibility requirements.