Seed2STEM - Pride and Privilege

Last week I attended the Geelong Manufacturing Council launch of the Seed2STEM program in the Greater Bendigo Region. As a Male Ally for gender equity, I was privileged to represent gforce employment + recruitment for the launch, and proud to support the candidate we placed to lead this program there in aspiring girls and women in their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math's) careers.

One arm of the program is aimed at opening the eyes of year 9 & 10 girls into the opportunities provided by STEM, whilst the other arm is aimed at early women STEM professionals through a mentor program to ‘break through’ the glass ceiling they often experience in male dominated industries.

Sharon Hebbard discussed her reflections on what makes a difference through the three ‘C’s – Confidence, Curiosity and Commitment, and we heard these key themes come up in different contexts through the panel discussion, and again through the presentation by Linda Betts , who impressed with not only her up to date research, but also succinctly articulating what actions are required across a wide array of initiatives to reach a more equitable future – of which this Seed2STEM program is one.

I am optimistic that the business community in the Bendigo region will fully engage in this program, just as the Ballarat business community engaged in the program last year, with another of our gforce candidates successfully running the same program there. It was with a sense of reflected pride in having the benefits for women AND businesses showcased through video – I’ll track it down and add a link to the comments.