Leonardo’s commitment to equal opportunities, and personal and professional development, involves us offering a range of education and development programmes, tailored to different groups of UK employees.

Navigator is our development programme for men who are looking to identify practical and realistic steps to fulfil their potential. It encourages participants to examine their home and work life – in order to build new ways of seeing themselves and addressing how they respond to difficult situations and to the people they interact with. Ultimately, Navigator is designed to enable participants to manage any challenges they face with a greater degree of confidence.

For Leonardo, the Navigator programme is part of the company meeting our needs to provide greater support around personal and career development, men’s health, mental health and wellbeing, as part of our Inclusion and Diversity strategy. 25 men are taking part in the first cohort of this programme, and early feedback has been very positive.

Alex Heaps, a Systems Engineer at Leonardo's site in Basildon, said: "The Navigator programme has been able to open me a channel in which to discuss professional and personal life with like-minded engineers in various different stages of  their career and home life. My aim from here is to draw on that guidance and personal experience to better prepare myself for what lays ahead."

This sentiment was echoed by Jeremy Fox, a Programme Manager within Leonardo's Helicopter business in Yeovil, who added: "I found it enjoyable and valuable…it felt a positive and ‘safe’ group to share and listen in while participating in the programme content. It was a very positive start and I am looking forward to having the time, guidance and support to refocus my personal development and career plan over the coming workshops."

This programme is delivered in conjunction with the Springboard Consultancy.