More than 1,000 women have been mentored and trained by Women 1st to achieve their career aspirations in the UK’s hospitality, passenger transport, travel and tourism industries.
The organisation made its announcement on International Women’s Day 2013 on 8 March.
It reached the 1,000 landmark thanks to Thistle Hotels’ decision to put a new batch of female managers through Women 1st’s Step Up programme, a leadership and management programme for women.
Women 1st also offers a mentoring programme that matches candidates to senior industry figures so that junior female staff can benefit from expert advice and guidance in order to progress their careers.
Women 1st was set up in the UK by sector skills council People 1st, in 2009, after its research revealed that while nearly 60 per cent of the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism workforce are female, only six per cent of director-level positions are held by women.
Thistle Hotels is among a growing number of employers championing diversity and working with Women 1st and taking proactive steps to address gender imbalance across the industry.
coaching at work, volume 8, issue 3