The next generation of WA’s female leaders has been celebrated with the graduation of this year’s participants in the Future Female Leaders Program.
This year’s Future Female Leaders graduates.
Sponsored by CCIWA’s Education Development Fund, the six-month program is delivered annually by Future Female Leaders, co-founded by CCIWA Member Engaging Education, with 14 girls in Year 11 taking part this year.
It’s described as a career kick starter for future change makers and dream chasers, bringing together education and industry “to change the game for our future female visionaries in WA”.
“The program was created to be everything and more that is missing from school,” Co-Founders Claire Seeber and Karen Dennett say.
The program takes a blended approach to learning, including:
- face-to-face workshops:
- online live webinar;
- self-paced learning tutorials;
- 1:1 mentor sessions with women from industry;
- monthly online group power coaching circles;
- STEM Leaders Panel; and
- ‘pitch and networking event’.
Participants also create a personal social impact project to address a chosen UN Sustainable Development Goal which they showcase at the graduation celebration after pitching the concept at the pitch event.
CCIWA’s sponsorship
CIWA Director People and Culture Tracy Al Saidi and mentee Tahleah.
As part of EDF’s sponsorship, CCIWA Director People and Culture Tracy Al Saidi took on an industry mentor role to Tahleah, one of the 14 girls on the program.
“Some of the most important influences throughout my career have been strong female role models and leaders,” Al Saidi said.
“They played a key role in helping me to navigate different stages of my career by sharing their lived experiences, encouragement and guidance, which added tremendously to my growth.”
She added: “I feel honoured to have the opportunity to share my experiences to support other female leaders as they embark on their journey.”
The program covers key topics based on research from the World Economic Forum around the Future Fit skills required for leaders, including Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Navigating Change and Dealing with Ambiguity; and Creativity and Innovation.
Participants are also given key business and life skills required for success such as Money Management; Networking and Personal Branding; and Systems, Processes and Working Effectively.
Impact on ‘everyone involved’
Engaging Education founder Karen Dennett said the most amazing outcome from the program is the “inspiration joy and impact the program creates not only for the girls, but for everyone who is involved”, including the experts, the professional mentors, the investors, event partners, sponsors in kind and supporters.
“We created the program because we can and because we should,” she said. “We all have a responsibility to empower and prepare our future female leaders with skills and courage and remove some of the obstacles now.”
Dennett added: “No girl can buy a place on the program as it is fully funded by industry investors, making it accessible for any girls across Western Australia to apply and be selected for their ambition, passion for leadership, desire to make a difference and commitment to growth.”
If you would love to find out more about getting involved in 2023, head to www.futurefemaleleaders.com.au.
Find out more about CCIWA’s Education Development Fund or via our Facebook page at Students@CCI.
