Babcock Australasia has continued its support for gender diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as a Supporting Partner of the University of Adelaide’s Women in STEM Careers (WiSC) program for the second year running.
As one of the largest Australian leadership programs targeted at women studying STEM, the WiSC program focuses on equipping participants with leadership, resilience and entrepreneurial skills that will allow them to become innovative leaders in their chosen field.
In 2021, the WiSC program celebrates its fifth year of providing personal and professional development to women studying STEM by offering tools and skills to define a career path in STEM, with 100 new students involved in the program this year.
Babcock Australasia’s Executive Director – People & Business Performance, Sue Whitford, said Babcock’s sponsorship is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting emerging talent in science, technology and innovation.
“Babcock is proud to support the WiSC program, and to help empower future women STEM graduates, enable them to expand their industry networks, and prepare them for a successful, long-term career,” Ms Whitford said.
“We know that women are under-represented in STEM careers, so in sponsoring this important program, Babcock aims to enable the knowledge, skills and commitment of women at the University of Adelaide to open up many more opportunities for innovation and benefit the industry overall.
“As a growing Defence, aviation and critical services company, Babcock needs to develop a strong pipeline of high-quality graduates and ensure a wide pool of talent is available, to select the best candidates based on their ability to do the job.”
The WiSC program works to reduce the gender gap and decrease the leaky pipeline by providing an environment where future women STEM graduate employees can thrive and succeed within their organisation.
The University of Adelaide’s Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Jennie Shaw, said industry support such as that provided by Babcock has been critical to the program’s success.
“Across its five years, hundreds of students have now benefitted from the University of Adelaide’s Women in STEM Careers program,” Professor Shaw said.
“This means giving hundreds of women the opportunity to better understand their capabilities and their potential, bringing them a step closer to rewarding careers in these fields.
“The University of Adelaide has a long history of commitment to gender equity, and we welcome the collaboration with industry to boost women’s involvement in STEM education and careers.”