About WMF

 In April 2007 the ALC piloted a T&L Women’s Only Mentoring Program; titled ‘Moving Women Forward’. The project aligned with the ALC 2008 People Position Statement and the National T&L Strategy which includes as key areas to action: 

• Continue the development and opportunities to participate in Mentoring programs
• Develop a strategic approach to identifying and addressing crucial skills shortages across the industry 

The pilot was conducted in SE Queensland region and included ALC member organisations and other external T&L organisations.The project was managed by the ALC and utilised the Emberin ‘My Mentor - Challenging Women to Step-up’ program which is a stand-alone DVD / CD and Workbook product.

My Mentor is based around global research associated with areas identified as being critical in assisting women in obtaining senior positions and retaining them within organisations. Mentoring is seen as the No 1 priority that women need in order to move to more senior roles.

There is no other program like this globally. Traditional mentoring programs are logistically difficult to manage and very expensive. The cost of this program enables the net to be cast wide to incorporate larger groups of high potential women.

Following on from the success of the pilot program the ALC has undertaken  a national mentoring program entitled Women Moving Forward. 

Transport and Logistics (T&L) accounts for 11.2% of NSW GSP and 400,000 jobs. It is a major industry in its own right and provides essential support for almost every other business in every community. However, less than one third of the workforce are women.

There are numerous benefits for all stakeholders involved in the WMF program. Each time an organisation loses a staff member it costs 1.5 times salary (minimum), therefore if an organisation can retain a woman as a result of this program there is a clear Return on Investment. Emberin has undertaken significant research and found that many initiatives run in organisations under the banner of 'women's initiatives' are tokenistic and have limited measurable ROI; unlike My Mentor. Instead of dwelling on issues facing women in the workplace, My Mentor assumes the issues and moves on to practical solutions.

In rolling out WMF nationally, the ALC has tailored the administration of the program to suit the needs of the T&L industry. This includes: 

• Offering WMF only to women in the T&L industry, in any T&L role in any T&L company 
• Development of this site enabling women to discuss relevant T&L issues
• Inviting T&L associations to partner with the program
• Inviting high profile T&L speakers to speak to participants during the program as well as recording interviews with them about their journeys
• Profiling T&L associations and organisations that are leaders in developing their women
• Facilitating T&L networking events and forums
• Profiling T&L related qualifications    

Other benefits of WMF include:

For Women

• Taking the next steps in their career by investing in their future
• Developing skills and strategies for excelling in the workplace
• Learning how to raise their visibility within organisations and the industry
• Developing networks and contacts with other women in T&L
• Hearing from leading women in T&L about their life and work experiences
• The option to also gain a TAFE Certificate 4 or 3

Women who participate in WMF receive

• A WMF Information Kit (which explains how the program works)
• A My Mentor Kit which consists of 10 CD's, 2 DVD's and a Workbook
• Weekly WMF Newsletters (via email)
• Weekly tele-conferences
• Access to weekly guest speakers
• Access to the WMF Mentoring Website
• Opportunities to co-chair weekly tele-conferences
• Invitations to attend local networking events 

For Companies 

• WMF assists women in companies to achieve their potential
• It helps companies identify their future leaders
• It can be used by companies to target retention rates for women
• There is no administrative burden—the ALC undertakes these tasks
• There is no need to provide mentors for women who are participating
• Government funding is available for some women to complete the program

For T&L Associations

• Associations can approach their members to become involved in the program
• Associations can put forward guest speakers to participate within the program
• Associations can invite the women to their networking forums and events
• Associations can invite the women to join their associations