The Lucy Mentoring Program
The issue of women in senior management and director roles within companies is a contentious one. In 2004, the NSW Government made a commitment to increase the number of women employed in management and board positions within both private and public sector organisations.
In response to this commitment, the Office for Women and the NSW Premier’s Department, in partnership with individuals and organisations within the public and private sectors, created the LUCY Mentoring Program.
The Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Newcastle has been participating in the LUCY program since 2007, joining the University of Sydney and the University of Western Sydney who have been participating since inception.
The LUCY program is aimed at women at university who are studying business and economics with the aim of inspiring, motivating and educating them about the opportunities for employment within the private and public sectors.
From May to September the program allows students in their final years to be guided and supported by an experienced mentor from outside the University while they explore various career options they may be interested in. Mentors and students work together over a period of weeks on an agreed Work Based Activity (WBA). The WBA aims to encourage an increased understanding of the challenges of working in the private or public sector. The mentor and student will meet regularly throughout this period. The WBA is designed to be flexible, totalling 35 hours in the mentor’s workplace.
The LUCY program is offered to students through the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Newcastle and has so far seen over 100 female undergraduates complete the program since 2007.
Further information about the LUCY Mentoring Program can be provided by coordinator Anne Sullivan.
