The ABCN team was busy behind the scenes this year as we welcomed new member companies, workshopped new ideas and concepts, scaled existing programs and piloted new ones.

One of our many success stories this year was the Jetstar High Flyers program, which connected Year 10 female students with female employees for a half-day mentoring workshop. High Flyers aims to promote and encourage careers in aviation for women, encourage greater diversity within the sector and at the same time, inspire young female students to consider STEM subjects.

Of the student participants, 85% reported increased knowledge of the different careers available within the aviation industry, compared to only 10% prior to the program. ‘The most useful thing I learnt was that there is so much more to the aviation industry than I thought’, said one student. ‘I will apply it by choosing subjects such as science and maths to give me more options in the future’, said another.

We were also thrilled to see that 95% of students reported an increased awareness of the strengths and attributes that employers are looking for in the aviation sector, with 78% reporting greater confidence to apply for potential roles.

The mentors involved were passionate about sharing their knowledge and experience and play their part in inspiring a new generation of female students. ‘What a great program to encourage girls into STEM subjects’, said one mentor. ‘Even if we reach 10% of the girls in the room, we will have significantly improved gender balance in our industry.’

Other collaborations and program development included working with Optus and J.P. Morgan on Pathways to Employment and InRoads – and more recently, EY and CBA on the Entrepreneurs Unearthed pilot program. We look forward to building on the success of these programs into 2018.