Defence industry female mentoring program begins eighth year

The 2022 program of TFTC (The Future Through Collaboration) kicked off recently at a ceremony where the defence industry community, including 49 pairs of mentors and mentees, gathered at the Hyatt Hotel, Canberra to mark the launch. A one-of-a-kind collaborative venture, TFTC was established in response to challenges with diversity in Defence and defence industry. The keynote speaker was Amelia De Angelis, TFTC Chairperson and COO at Kinexus, who shared a brief history of the program and why mentoring relationships are so important to her. Amanda Holt, CEO at the SYPAQ Group, shared her experiences as a TFTC mentor. She shared that, whilst her focus was very much on the personal and professional development of her mentee, she learned a great deal from participating in the program.  “Whilst we have all adapted well during COVID to working in a far more isolated and virtual fashion … it’s just not the same. I am excited to see us returning to a more collaborative and personal level of engagement so we can really bring out the best in one another.” TFTC plays a vital role in developing Australia’s overall Defence capability. Its success over the last eight years is testament to the commitment of its supporting organisations including Kinexus, Airservices Australia, BAE Systems, Department of Defence, Royal Australian Navy and many more. Established in 2015, the TFTC Mentoring Program provides women working within the engineering, project management, ICT and cyber disciplines in Defence and defence industry the opportunity to work with a senior industry mentor. Across a structured 12-month program they develop skills and forge strong networks designed to enhance and grow the capability of the defence sector in Australia. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Director of Sales Graham Joss at [email protected]