Fort Belvoir, Va. –
DCAA is creating a culture of mentoring across the Agency through its mentoring program. At the ceremony marking the end of the 2nd cohort, Deputy Director Bentz said of mentoring, “you can’t overstate the importance of having a mentorship relationship to career success.” For the 2nd cohort, their successful completion of the mentoring program laid the foundation for their career success.
The DCAA mentoring program helps employees establish a mentoring relationship by matching mentors and mentees and providing tools for success. The program focuses on developing technical skills, leadership competencies, and soft skills to prepare mentees for career growth and progression. During the formal 10-month program, mentees participated in stretch assignments such as special projects, developmental assignments, and situational mentoring. Program participant Charles Beard said of the program, “the best part of my mentoring relationship is the fact that I have gained a trustworthy ally, a confidant, a promoter, and a supporter.”
The mentoring program is very successful with 100% of the second cohort participants recommending the program to others. The third cohort is now underway with the program expanded to include employees at the GS-12 level.