NZSA Mentoring Programme

“This [programme] offers unmatched opportunities for junior, senior and emerging statisticians to connect formally or informally.” – Mentor Cohort 4, 2025

 

The Purpose of the NZSA Mentoring Programme is to:

  • Develop the next generation of statisticians​
  • Build community & broaden networks within the NZSA​
  • Support statisticians working on their own / in small teams​

Mentoring offers a variety of benefits to both the mentor and mentee.

Benefits for mentors include:

  • Connect with skills & perspectives of early career statisticians​
  • Develop / enhance communication & leadership skills​
  • Pass on skills & knowledge​
  • Promote opportunities in the statistical profession​
  • Opportunity to be a role model

Benefits for mentees include:

  • Gain insights from someone with experience​
  • Gain new perspectives ​
  • Encouragement & motivation​
  • Boost self confidence​
  • Identify new opportunities​
  • Expand your network

The NZSA Mentoring Programme was launched in 2022 with the 5th cohort being offered throughout 2026. Around 100 NZSA members have been involved with the mentoring programme to date, with many of these individuals being involved across multiple cohorts and connecting with the programme in multiple ways.

The majority of participants over the past 4 years have enjoyed participating in the programme and would recommend it to others in the NZSA. The most common benefit for mentors and mentees varies by year. Exposure to new ideas and ways of working was one of the top benefits for both mentors and mentees in 2025.

Testimonials

 “I really appreciate the structure [the programme] provides and the opportunities to engage with other statisticians outside of my workplace – in addition to offering something that I feel I missed early in my own career.” – Mentor Cohort 4

“It was an incredibly positive experience that gave me both direction and encouragement. I’d definitely recommend the programme to others in the NZSA community.” – Mentee Cohort 4

” I really appreciated hearing how statistical thinking is used in large, real-world operations, and how communication, teamwork, and pragmatism come into play when working with non-statistical colleagues.” – Mentee Cohort 4

“Had some fantastic discussions and think I got as much benefit out of the sessions as my mentees. I really looked forward to catching up and sharing ideas at our mentoring catch ups. It was nice to reflect on the challenges that we all faced and share ideas on how to tackle these.” – Mentor Cohort 2

“My mentor was amazing at talking me through situations at work that I wasn’t sure how to navigate, by sharing her experience and thinking with me about possible solutions and building my confidence.” – Mentee Cohort 2

“The NZSA Mentoring Programme provided opportunities to meet and network with other statisticians working in a diverse range of organisations. The programme helped me to develop skills necessary for achieving work-life balance and building resilience working for a small team of statisticians in a large organisation.” – Mentee Cohort 2

“I didn’t really know what my strengths would be in mentoring as it was my first time being a mentor formally. The programme built my confidence in mentoring.” – Mentor Cohort 1

“Found it to be extremely rewarding.  Very interesting chats with my mentee – and despite the different stages in our careers / lives, there was a lot of overlap in the challenges, opportunities, etc we face.” – Mentor Cohort 1

“I would have really appreciated such a programme when I was a young statistician.” – Mentor Cohort 1

“My mentor also gave me advice throughout the interview process for a job I applied for during the programme. I got the job!” – Mentee Cohort 1

“The mentoring programme is an excellent opportunity for me to build connections with and learn from more experienced statisticians.” – Mentee Cohort 1

“I am the only statistician at my workplace, so having another statistician to talk to was reassuring and helpful.” – Mentee Cohort 1

Mentoring Pairs

Sign-ups for the 2026 programme have now closed. Details of the 2027 programme will be shared via the NZSA mailing list in early 2027.

The programme typically accepts sign-ups to be a mentor or mentee around February with matches being communicated throughout March. Pairs then connect over a 6-month period from April to September.

In 2025, the programme included 20 mentor:mentee pairs. This included 5 people who were both a mentor and a mentee which resulted in three ‘mentoring trains.’ Two of these consisted of 4 individuals and one consisted of 3 individuals (i.e. A mentors B who mentors C). This is a great example of how mentoring provides opportunities for growth and development in both directions and can equip people to support others.

Lean in Circles

Lean In Circles are small groups of up to 10 people that connect regularly for peer mentoring, networking and support. Circle participants meet virtually for an hour a month to discuss a variety of topics. Past discussion topics have included work life balance, time management and strategic yeses.

The 2026 circle aims to provide strong connections and support for NZSA women and will be offered from April – November.

“I found the sessions incredibly supportive and insightful. Peer to peer support, shared wisdom and encouragement was incredibly valuable to me.” – 2025 Lean in Circle Participant

Coffee Roulette

Coffee Roulette is an initiative where participants will be randomly matched with another participating NZSA member every month. The coffee roulette co-ordinator will email pairs in the first week of each month from February – November. Once matched, pairs can arrange a time to meet for a virtual (or in-person) coffee.

The purpose of coffee roulette is to provide networking opportunities for NZSA members. It is ideal for individuals who are interested in mentoring with the primary goal of expanding their network and individuals looking for opportunities to connect and learn from others without the structure and time commitment of a mentoring pair. The time commitment for this is up to an hour per month, depending on the number of matches and the duration of your catch ups.

Members can sign up for coffee roulette at any point throughout the year by emailing mentoring@stats.org.nz.

“A key highlight has been gaining a better understanding of the range of career opportunities available to statisticians.” – 2025 Coffee Roulette Participant

Lunch ‘n’ Learns

In 2026, we’ve got an exciting opportunity to collaborate with the SSA Mentoring Programme webinar series. Sign up is free for mentors and mentees with a discounted rate available for NZSA members.

There will also be an opportunity for NZSA members to lead lunch ‘n’ learns throughout the year. If you’ve got a topic you’d like to present, please reach out to Manori Wickramasinghe.

Code of Conduct

The programme has a Code of Conduct which all programme participants are expected to abide by. We have three code of conduct representatives to ensure that the programme provides a safe and respectful environment for everyone. If you have any concerns throughout the programme, or there is anything you’d like to discuss, feel free to contact one of the following representatives:

If you have any questions, or to express interest in being involved in a future cohort of the mentoring programme, please email mentoring@stats.org.nz.