1. Women in Mountain Training - Mentoring

2. Mountain Training mentoring
Why did we start mentoring women?
What did we do? (and not do?)
What were the results/feedback?

3. Why did we start mentoring?

4. Mountaineering Instructor Award (MIA)
Covers the instruction of all aspects of walking, climbing (multi-pitch) and mountaineering in ‘summer’ conditions.
Sits at the upper end of the qualification pathway
Traditionally the gateway to Mountain Training course delivery – role models and course delivery staff

5. Why did we start mentoring?
Demand:
“I have two female ML friends who are supportive and give me suggestions and advice and I feel a mentoring scheme will help others achieve? … They don’t have to be with me on the hills but I’d like advice and someone to possibly check a route or two for me.” – Female aspirant Mountain Leader
“We need: Mentors in place for women embarking on awards (not necessarily women but also men who understand the issues).” – Female Mountain Leader and Single Pitch Award holder
“I think there needs to be a higher female presence. If there are less women in the industry perhaps we could make it important to have a female present at some stage or another on more or all of the courses. This might mean they have to employ more youngsters, and more women which would improve ratios and publicity.” – Female MIC who sought out her own mentor(s).

6. Why did we start mentoring?
As an experiment in blended learning.
We’ve used the same pathway for 54 years.

7. What did we do?
Contacted all the women who had attended MIA training in the last five years but not yet passed assessment (25 in total) offering them support.
12 of the trainees took up the offer.
Libby Peter began actively mentoring four women who were preparing for assessment in 2016.
We teamed up with AMI - Sam Leary (an experienced MIC) who offered practical mentoring opportunities.

8. What didn’t we do? Offer this mentoring opportunity to men.
Widely publicise that we were piloting mentoring.
Interfere with the assessment process – this is a separate and robust process.

9. What were the results?
Success! All six females who passed their assessment last year were involved in mentoring in some way; four directly through our pilot and two through mentors of their own.
Some discussion about where it should sit e.g. AMI or Mountain Training?

10. What feedback did we get?
“If it was not for this mentoring scheme I would have cancelled my assessment” “Sam would be there to tell me I was good enough and became the observer I desperately wanted.” – MIA mentee 2016
“I do think it's great to have a forum like this to ask a question. I would have really liked to have access to it in the months coming up to my assessment.” – MIA trainee 2017
Some very negative comments from the uninformed – all came to us via women – highlighting some of the challenges that remain.

11. Additional research
Will Hardy (our PhD student) did some research into preparation for MIA assessment.
Whilst mentoring may not have a direct effect on whether a candidate passes their assessment or not, there is evidence to suggest that it influences other factors that do influence the result. [e.g. confidence and self esteem]
The support a candidate receives, or perhaps more importantly does not receive, is very important.
“I personally decided not to pursue this award for the time being due to having my own similiar concerns about the high deferral rate and no consolidation period support.” – Male MIA trainee

12. Next steps?
Mentoring has continued this year – not many new women preparing for assessment.
Plans for a more formalised mentoring scheme.