Advance mentoring: 10th cohort launching soon

This September marks the 10th consecutive year of Advance, Women in Transport’s sector-specific mentoring programme.

Since it began, Advance has paired over 500 mentors and mentees, with a 9/10 average matching score from both sides of the relationship.

Advance forms one third of our Professional Development wheel, alongside our leadership programme Lead and our coaching programme Grow. If you haven’t explored it yet, it’s the fastest way to see where Advance fits alongside our other development programmes and find the right next step for your career. Or scroll down for more details on Advance 2027.

Applications for Advance open on 28th September 2026.

Women in Transport · Programmes

Turn the wheel.
Accelerate your career.

Mentoring

Advance

The mentoring programme designed by women in transport for women in transport.

Who for

Any member who identifies as a woman and is seeking to develop and progress her career. Mentors: manager level or above, any gender.

How it runs

Apply, train, get matched — then six one-hour sessions across the year, plus peer engagement sessions.

500+mentees and mentors supported

9/10matching, scored by both sides

See the programme outline →

Advance: All You Need to Know webinar

Wednesday 23rd September 2026, 12-1pm (virtual)

Join Angela Gainsford and Steve Griffiths for an interactive overview of the 2027 programme, covering eligibility for mentors and mentees, how to apply, tips on making your application stand out, and first-hand experiences from past participants.

Key dates – and what they mean for you

Advance is a two-way commitment. Here’s the full timeline, and what’s asked of mentees and mentors at each stage of the programme:

Advance 2027 – key dates and commitments

All You Need to Know 23 Sept 2026

Mentee commitmentOptional but recommended – come with questions

Mentor commitmentOptional but recommended – come with questions

Applications open From 28 Sept 2026

Mentee commitmentSubmit your mentee application

Mentor commitmentSubmit your mentor application

Training Nov 2026 (4 mentee dates, 3 mentor dates)

Mentee commitmentCompulsory – attend one session

Mentor commitmentCompulsory for new mentors only

Pair matching Nov 2026

Mentee commitmentMatched to your objectives

Mentor commitmentMatched to your expertise

Mentoring Jan – Sept 2027

Mentee commitmentCommit to 6 x 1-hour sessions

Mentor commitmentGift 6 x 1-hour sessions

Peer engagement Dec 2026 – Sept 2027

Mentee commitment3 x peer sessions (non-compulsory)

Mentor commitment3 x peer sessions (non-compulsory)

Evaluation Apr + Sept 2027

Mentee commitmentComplete online survey

Mentor commitmentComplete online survey

Ready to get involved?

Advance is free for all Women in Transport members, thanks to the generosity of our Advance sponsors.

• Mentees: any Women in Transport member who identifies as a woman can apply.

• Mentors: any manager level or above, in or affiliated with transport, can apply – regardless of gender.

Applications open on 28th September 2026 – full details and how to apply

Interested in sponsoring Advance? Get in touch with Steve Griffiths, our Professional Development Director, at steve.griffiths@womenintransport.com