Launched at BEVA Congress on 13 September 2019, the Leg Up programme pairs graduates with experienced equine vets for career support. The project, which has been driven by BEVA President Renate Weller, is being trialled over the next 12 months before being rolled out more widely.
“All professionals, but especially new graduates need support in navigating their journey through their chosen career”, said Renate. “With the veterinary industry’s rapidly changing landscape and rising concern around well-being, consistent support and guidance have never been more relevant.”
The Leg Up programme gives BEVA’s equine practitioners the opportunity to develop their coaching and mentoring skills via workshops, discussion forums and online toolkits. Having been trained by a specialist mentoring professional, the coaches will be paired with recent graduates. Once paired the coaches will provide guidance and support to help their graduates explore the foundation years of their careers.
Coaching is open to BEVA concessionary members who have graduated within the past three years. They will be able to self-select a preferred coach on a first come first serve basis from the Leg Up profile page on the BEVA website beva.org.uk/Careers/Leg-Up.
“To date access to targeted careers support has most often depended on where you work and who you know”, said BEVA President Renate Weller. “We hope the scheme will encourage and support those entering the profession, giving them the opportunity to discuss their training, development, career progression and self-care with trained professionals who were once in their shoes.”
