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Research conducted earlier this year by the Diverse Sustainability Initiative (DSI) found that many People of Colour (PoC) working in sustainability feel that the profession is still “not inclusive” and that career progression remains “challenging”.
Indeed, just 6% of staff working in the sector are not white, compared with 15% across the UK workforce as a whole, according to the latest RACE report.
As a result, the DSI has partnered with the University of Strathclyde to launch the profession’s first PoC mentoring scheme to help address this imbalance and break down barriers to career progression.
“Many feel their colleagues are unwilling to have uncomfortable conversations about race or address inequality, and that they have nowhere to go,” says Caris Graham, IEMA’s senior diverse sustainability officer. “We want to break down barriers to career progression with this mentoring pilot, which has had very good engagement and is something that the sector really needs.”
The six-month pilot scheme will see 20 mentees matched with one of 20+ mentors, based on their key skills. The mentors will then provide guidance and insights on how to overcome challenges within workplace culture and further progress their careers.
Mentors have been prepared through a workshop on addressing ‘difficult conversations’ and on putting aside their own unconscious bias to support mentees and build bridges to networks that might not otherwise have been available, such as professional associations or industry-specific opportunities.
A maximum of two hours of mentoring will take place every month over a video call. Researchers from the University of Strathclyde will also interview participants to find out what’s working and what isn’t.
“No such scheme currently exists in the sector, and we want to share the learnings that come out of it to encourage other organisations to set up similar schemes for underrepresented individuals,” Graham says.
With a lack of role models of Colour in senior positions within the profession, concerns had been raised around suitable mentors to take part in the scheme, which is being funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
However, after conducting a workshop with IEMA members of Colour interested in the scheme earlier this year, the researchers found that soft skills and authenticity were the most desired characteristics of mentors.
“We found that people just want someone who has some kind of lived experience that they can relate to,” says Graham. “It might be that you’re not a PoC, but you’ve experienced a struggle that people understand, which is really key to these mentoring relationships.”
The IEMA scheme uses an online mentoring software platform called PLD, which incorporates many supporting resources to assist participants along their mentoring journey.
Graham adds: “This is just a pilot, but our long-term ambition is to expand it across different underrepresented groups, and use the learnings to create something that is really powerful for the profession.
“Addressing challenges of career progression is crucial, especially in the context of climate justice, where diverse perspectives are essential for creating equitable solutions.”
Register for updates on the scheme at www.bit.ly/pilot-scheme
Chris Seekings is the Deputy Editor of IEMA’s Transform magazine, which is published biomonthly for IEMA members. Chris’s role involves writing sustainability-related news, features and interviews, as well as helping to plan and manage the magazine’s other day-to-day activities.
