TACOM begins pilot mentorship program

Photo By Amy Tolson | Dr. Juanita M. Christensen, executive director of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center, conducts a mentoring session for the AUM Foundation's Pathway 2 Success program. "Part of this is to give you insight into the Army, and what we do on the civilian side, and to open up your breadth of understanding about what types of job opportunities are out there," Christensen said.  

DETROIT ARSENAL, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES

02.08.2021

Story by Scott Wakefield 

U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command

DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. ̶ Tank-automotive and Armaments Command has initiated its new mentorship program projected to begin February 15.

The goal of the program is to introduce mentees to existing knowledge, skills, and experience provided by senior and higher performing employees and allowing the mentees to learn these self-improvement and career advancing traits to help them achieve their goals and better TACOM as an organization.

The idea for the program started coming together almost a year ago, but there were delays in the initial start due to COVID-19. Discussions in the diversity and inclusion group put more emphasis on getting the program off the ground and there has been an increased push to get the program started.

Jason Shirk, the Mentorship Program Manager, says that mentees should come away from their experience with improved leadership and communications skills, a new mind-set in how they look at and do things, and a network to share knowledge and skills with other members of the organization.

“[Mentees] will be paired with a mentor who is strong in the categories they are hoping to develop,” Shirk said, “The mentee will gain knowledge and confidence in the strengths they are hoping to improve.”

Mentors will also benefit from the program through shared skills development, networking, problem-solving, and being able to accomplish personal and professional goals.

“Mentors will be giving back to their work community helping develop possible leaders of the future,” he said, “In my opinion, a good leader is always learning from those they are helping to develop.”

During the first round of the program a maximum of 40 employees will be paired with 20 mentors. Participants must have their supervisor’s approval and signature on the application form. Applicants will be randomly paired based on the mentor’s strengths and the mentees professional areas of interest. One important aspect of the program is that it is not promotion based, and there is no guarantee of a promotion when an applicant finishes the program.

If you miss the application deadline of Feb. 2, the command is looking at beginning another iteration of the program in the Fall.

• Date Taken: 02.08.2021
• Date Posted: 02.08.2021 07:13
• Story ID: 388580
• Location: DETROIT ARSENAL, MICHIGAN, US