"Giving young women a platform for sharing ideas and experience" Women of New Energies e.V. mentoring programme.

EEHH: When and why did you launch the mentoring programme?

Stefanie Dreier: “We started the mentoring programme eleven years ago – Women of Wind Energy as it was called back then. We wanted to give young women in the wind energy sector an opportunity to share ideas and experience and to promote new talent, as there were still very few women in the industry at that time. In the first year, we had eight candidates and now receive applications from 50 mentees – a fantastic development. Providing and achieving equal opportunities was our top priority. In 2020, Women of Wind Energy was rebranded and became Women of New Energies, in order to cover the entire range of renewable energies”.

EEHH: How does mentoring actually work? What does it involve?

Stefanie Dreier: “Our mentoring programme is now divided into a junior and a senior section. The junior programme is dedicated to students and young professionals, while the senior section caters for women who have already gained some management experience and have been working in a relevant role for at least five years. In addition to mentor support, the programme content also includes online coaching sessions, during which mentees cover topics such as career guidance and salary negotiations. Some mentors have been involved in our network for years; former mentees have now become mentors themselves. And some mentees have also attended several programme sessions. We’re pleased that men are also now applying to be mentors and are therefore actively committed to promoting women in the industry”.

EEHH: Who’s behind Women of New Energies?

Stefanie Dreier: “We’re a registered voluntary organisation that offers digital lunches and other networking opportunities in various German cities and at industry events, in addition to mentoring. Our President, Lydia Eppler, and Vice Presidents, Iva Jukic, Simone Thomas and I, jointly manage the mentoring programme. Iva is a former mentee, by the way, and joined the organisation and its board via the mentoring programme – a real success story. In total, we currently have around 60 corporate and almost 300 private members. Our corporate members come from a wide range of sub-sectors of the renewable energies industry – solar, wind and, in some cases hydrogen. Many different companies are represented, from turbine manufacturers to project developers, energy suppliers and service providers. This combination is reflected in the mentoring programme, among both mentors and mentees”.

EEHH: Were there role models for the mentoring programme in other countries?

Stefanie Dreier: “Yes, there were. In the US, a similar organisation, Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy (WRISE), has existed across all states since 2005. Over there, the advancement of women is even more important and is a key priority and we’re noticing that this is also becoming increasingly important in Germany”.

Thank you for this fascinating interview and we hope you continue to be successful!