The Women in Ports network is jointly managed by the UK ports associations – Port Skills and Safety, UK Major Ports Group, and the British Ports Association – and also supports the Maritime UK ‘Women in Maritime‘ initiative. It brings together women working across the port sector, providing opportunities to connect, share experiences, build professional networks, and support career development.
The Women in Ports mentoring programme supports those starting out or looking to develop their careers and leadership skills, pairing mentees with experienced professionals from across the port sector who can offer guidance, support and a fresh perspective.
Following the success of the inaugural mentoring cohort in 2025/26, the programme will return for a second year, with applications for the 2026/27 cohort opening in October 2026.
All mentors and mentees take part in a training session before mentoring begins, helping participants understand their role, establish effective mentoring relationships, and get the most from the programme.
Further information about the 2026/27 programme, including application details and key dates, will be published in September.
Timeline
| 05 October: | Applications for the 2026/27 cohort open |
| w/c 09 November: | Mentoring team reviews applications for initial matching |
| End November: | Training sessions (online) Mentees: Date to be announced Mentors: Date to be announced |
| Early December: | Confirmation of mentoring pairs |
Mentoring programme resources
The 2025/26 mentoring programme was kindly sponsored by:
