Diana Johnson MP supports pioneering EMPATHY-EDGE E-mentoring project

Gender discrimination in employment has long been an issue faced by women across the UK, and has created a number of barriers to progress across a range of sectors. Hull University Business Schoolís pioneering EMPATHY-EDGE project is working hard to help women across the UK break through so called ëglass ceilingsí and progress in business.

As they prepare to announce their findings at their UK conference on 27 April at the British Academy, Diana Johnson MP and supporter of their work, reflects on their achievements. ëProjects such as EMPATHY-EDGE play an valuable part in helping to break through the glass ceiling that many talented women face in trying to achieve management positions and careers in business. It is a pleasure to support forward-looking work that is so important to both our economic and social progressí.

EMPATHY-EDGE is a national research project funded by the European Social Fund, and managed by the European Social Fund Division (DfES and DWP). Over the past three years, the project has been researching solutions to womenís under-representation at senior levels in the labour market, and has developed an innovatory E-mentoring programme for professionals. The project, which began in 2003 and ends this year, has a total value of 992,000. Through a combination of research and web-based E-mentoring the project has successfully paired 122 women, across the Humber region, Leeds, Sheffield, and East and West London. It has provided management and career development through pairing employed and returner women with experienced professional women who acted as role models. All participants were graduate (or equivalent) women with an average age of 36 for mentees and 46 for mentors.

For Viona Tanna-Read being part of the project was certainly a worthwhile experience, ëhaving achieved a 2:1 BA degree in Business at Hull University, I entered a graduate programme at a media agency. It was not my first job, however it was a learning experience. After joining the EMPATHY-EDGE Project and discussing my situation with my mentor, I realised it was not providing everything I needed in my career. I thought I could be gaining and achieving more. With supportive, constructive, and diplomatic advice from my mentor, Diana Wolfin, and a stroke of luck with a media recruitment agency, I found promotion at an international media agency called Carat where I feel my prospects are far wider.í

Since it began, EMPATHY-EDGE has successfully helped a number of women across the UK identify the barriers to their career progression and take action to overcome them. Project Director, Jenny Headlam-Wells, attributes the projectís success to the multi-disciplinary nature of the team she leads, ëwe have an IT specialist, Julian Gosland; an Occupational Psychologist, Jane Craig; and an Administrator, Carole Booty, with a background in Adult Careers Guidance. We also benefit from the contributions of specialists in E-learning ñ Barbara Allan, ICT ñ Wendy Robson, and HRM ñ Jane Thompson. Itís a dream team.í

The EMPATHY-EDGE team will be presenting their findings at a conference at the British Academy on Thursday 27 April 2006 from 10.00 am. At the conference an overview of the project will be presented, together with research findings. There will also be an opportunity to hear from mentors and mentees.