MentorHER: A Digital Her initiative

MentorHER is a sustainable mentoring programme supporting women to thrive in the tech sector in our region. Our mission is to build a community of mentees who, once they have completed the programme, will then ‘pay it forward’ and give back to the next generation of women joining the industry.

Community is a huge part of MentorHER, with participants forging relationships not only with their partner but a whole network of women across Greater Manchester and beyond.

The programme takes each cohort through:

A Kick Off Event, where our cohort meet, get to know each other & set intentions for the programme
Training for Mentors & Mentees
Monthly Connect sessions online where Mentors come together & Mentees come together with our programme leaders for bespoke training & support responsive to their needs (optional)
Monthly Mentor-Mentee meetings over the course of 6 months
End of Programme Celebrations

MentorHER is not about teaching specific technical skills such as coding, but instead draws on coaching techniques alongside advice, networking and other traditional mentoring practices to help Mentees to flourish. One key focus is to facilitate time to reflect, explore and develop what the idea of a successful career looks like to each individual.

As a sector, we need to ensure that women are encouraged not only to join but also feel confident to thrive in their career within the sector. Each journey will be different and we champion that no path is the same.

Applications now open for Cohort Four

Applications to join Cohort Two of MentorHER close on Sunday, 23rd November 2025.

We will be in touch with all applicants within two weeks of the deadline passing.

Download application form for mentees and mentors for Cohort Four.

Criteria for MentorHER Cohort Four

Is MentorHER right for you? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

For all applicants

MentorHER is for specifically women, and is always inclusive of trans women.
MentorHER is based in Manchester. All participants need to be living or working in Greater Manchester, or close enough to make their own way into Manchester City Centre for meetings.
You need to be able to attend two initial in-person dates; Kick-Off and your Training day. Those dates are included in the application form.
MentorHER is not technical training. The mentoring relationship is focussed on your overall career, rather than training in a specific technical skill such as coding.
You must be able to commit to being on the programme for its duration (6 months). We know unexpected things can come up and where possible we’ll help you navigate those things and stay on the programme, but it’s important for both your Mentor/Mentee and the wider cohort that all participants are committed to the process.
Make sure you’ve considered why you’re applying. You don’t need to know exactly what you want to get from the process, but have a think about what’s driving you to pursue this opportunity – we’d love to hear about it and will ask about it in the application.

For Mentees

This opportunity is specifically for women (inclusive of cisgender and transgender women) living or working in Greater Manchester
If you are applying to be a Mentee, you need to be within the first two years of your career in tech.
The Kick-Off & Training sessions will be in-person in Manchester, therefore this programme is suitable for those who can make their own way to Manchester.
You must be able to commit to taking part in the following IN-PERSON session:
Monday 15th December 2025
1. AM – Kick off session
2. PM – Mentee training session
You must be able to commit to taking part in the following IN-PERSON session: Thursday 4th June 2026 – For all participants (Celebration & Cohort Wrap)

For Mentors

This opportunity is specifically for women (inclusive of cisgender and transgender women) living or working in Greater Manchester
If you are applying as a mentor, you will need to be within 2+ of your career in tech.
The Kick-Off & Training sessions will be in-person in Manchester, therefore this programme is suitable for those who can make their own way to Manchester.
You must be able to commit to taking part in the following IN-PERSON session:
Monday 15th December 2025 – AM (Kick off)
You must be able to able to commit to taking part in the following ONLINE session: Tuesday 16th December: PM (Mentor Training)
You must be able to commit to taking part in the following IN-PERSON session: Thursday 4th June 2026 – For all participants (Celebration & Cohort Wrap).

As a guide, after the initial kick off session and training, the partnership (mentoring sessions) will be approximately 1 hour per month, for 6 months. Once matched, we’ll ask MENTEES to take responsibility for driving the relationship and scheduling your sessions.

Apply now to be a Mentor or Mentee