On the ascent

During this period, the initial six RAF mentees were paired with six mentors from the Leonardo Armed Forces Network to share experiences and provide guidance on participants’ individual needs and future aspirations. Topics covered skill enhancement, leadership development, networking opportunities and collaborative innovation.

At a closing event for the first cohort held at RAF High Wycombe recently, mentors and mentees met to discuss the successes and lessons learnt. Key takeaways spoke to how the programme has helped break down barriers and perceptions, as well as the opportunity to look at challenges from a different perspective.

The event was organised by the RAF Air Lead for Ascend, Wing Commander Joan Ochuodho, and supported by the RAF Inclusion Network who invited their members to hear more about what the programme has to offer.

Speaking on the experiences of the first cohort, Wing Commander Ochuodho said: “We’ve had such rich discussions between the mentors and mentees which is testament to the value this opportunity has added to our people.

“Our sincere gratitude to Leonardo personnel who have so willingly given up their time to make this a worthwhile pursuit and were keen to stress how much they also learnt from our mentees.

“We hope to continue to grow this initiative and make it accessible to more RAF personnel who are passionate about mentoring and the value it adds to them and the organisation.”

In addition to the Leonardo Armed Forces network, the company’s Ethnicity Inclusion network has been working to ensure that Ascend offers opportunities to those who may have previously struggled to gain access to such programmes.

“Ascend was born out of discussions between Leonardo's Ethnicity Inclusion Network and the RAF's Ethnicity Minority Network to address issues surrounding equity of those from marginalised backgrounds,” commented Arvind Mahendran, Chair of the Leonardo Ethnic Inclusion Network. “Mentoring plays such a key role in career development, but access to these initiatives are not necessarily widespread.

“The feedback from our first cohort of the Ascend programme has been extremely positive. Our mentors and mentees have been able to share their insights and experiences, but most importantly, all have felt that they have learnt something new because of their relationships.”

Looking ahead, the initiative will continue, and Leonardo and the RAF aim to expand the mentoring to those without a military background and beyond the RAF Ethnicity Minority Network.