The CompTIA ANZ Channel Community has announced the launch of a mentoring initiative, with a six-month pilot to be undertaken with 50 mentors and mentees.
Powered by Mentorloop, a mentoring software platform, the ANZ Channel Community is running a six-month pilot with 50 mentors and mentees in total.
The role of mentor is open to any member of the ANZ CompTIA Channel Community while the mentee position is only available to premier members. The community is in the process of matching mentors with mentees.
Moheb Moses, ANZ community director, CompTIA, and director, Channel Dynamics, said, “The ANZ Channel Community decided on pursuing the mentoring initiative at our April community meeting. The community identified a mentoring program as an initiative that would have the greatest positive impact on the industry locally. It will aid members, particularly younger members, in their professional development.
{loadposition peter}“We have members that have joined the ANZ Channel Community because the industry has been good to them, and they want to give back. Becoming part of this program gives people a platform to do that by sharing their knowledge and experience with others.
“With a lot of new talent coming into the industry it is important that we nurture them from the outset. They often have a lot of energy, enthusiasm, and big ideas, and now they will have the opportunity to be guided in the best way to channel their ideas successfully and avoid any pitfalls along the way. The ultimate aim of the program is help accelerate young people’s success in the industry.”
Using Mentorloop the ANZ Channel Community can match mentors and mentees based on location, meeting frequency and format preferences, skill set, and goals.
Moses said, “Once looped in, the users can use the portal to manage their relationship based on best practice.”
Karen Drewitt, ANZ channel community chair and general manager, The Missing Link, said, “Mentoring is incredibly important for the betterment of our industry. The more we, as an industry, can find ways to be more proficient, the more value we can add. And, with skills gaps across the IT sector, it’s critical to nurture and develop talent.
“Mentors also have a lot to gain from becoming part of the program. There is a lot to be said for being exposed to new ideas and new ways of thinking. Mentors are in a fortunate position to spread their expertise beyond their own organisation, which shouldn’t be overlooked.”
Moses said, “Australia is essentially trialling the platform and will hopefully offer a framework that can be used in CompTIA communities globally. We look forward to seeing how the trial goes and expanding the programme in the future.”