Four full scholarships will be made available in 2024 for females in early-career and mid-level positions to advance their careers through Women & Leadership Australia’s professional development courses. Applications for Round 2 are now closed.
LEADING EDGE (valued at $4,190 +gst)
Description: Leading Edge is designed to assist females in early-career positions transition into confident, capable, and motivated leaders. Delivered part-time over four months, the program equips participants with the knowledge and behavioural insights required for successful leadership.
Commencement: New courses commence every two months
Duration: Four months program duration; two hours average weekly time commitment (on top of scheduled webinar sessions)
Format: Online
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicant must reside in Queensland (or within the Northern Rivers region)
- Applicant must be a minimum fourth-year apprentice or have at least two years experience in the automotive industry
EXECUTIVE READY (valued at $9,290 +gst)
Description: Executive Ready is a seven-month leadership and career accelerator purpose-designed to stretch women in mid-level positions and rapidly propel them towards executive-level performance, behaviours, and mindsets.
Commencement: New courses commence every two months
Duration: Seven months program duration; two hours average weekly time commitment (on top of scheduled webinar sessions)
Format: Online
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicant must reside in Queensland (or within the Northern Rivers region)
- Applicant must have a minimum of five years’ experience in the automotive industry
- Applicant must have a minimum of two years’ leadership experience
PAST SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Congratulations to Sarah Gale, a qualified light vehicle mechanic from Rego’s Mobile Mechanical, in Atherton North Queensland, who has been awarded the Leading Edge Scholarship.
Back in 2014, Sarah was the first female to win the prestigious title of MTA Queensland Apprentice of the Year for her skill, attitude, and work ethic. Fast forward to today, Sarah is as passionate and hard-working as ever.
From mechanic and supervisor to customer service, invoicing, and inventory manager, Sarah continually goes above and beyond in her duties. Now branching into a supervisory and training role, she hopes to use the Leading Edge course to enhance her leadership skills and accelerate her career.
Read more HERE.
Congratulations to Andrea McCarthy from McCarthy Panel Works, in North Mackay, who has been awarded the Executive Ready Scholarship.
Andrea is an outstanding businesswoman and role model within the automotive industry. She holds the Chair position of the MTA Queensland National Auto Collision Alliance Division and is a Director on the MTA Queensland Board. She is also a mentor on the Association’s Auto Women initiative.
She places high importance on life-long learning and hopes to use the knowledge from the Executive Ready course to drive future direction for her business and the industry as a whole.
Read more HERE.
Congratulations to Gabrielle Clift from Highfields Mechanical in Toowoomba, who has been awarded the Leading Edge Scholarship.
Back in 2020, Gabrielle was named MTA Queensland’s Apprentice of the Year for her skill, work ethic, and passion for the industry. That same year, she also took home Capricorn’s Rising Star Award, further evidencing her talent. Now, two years on, Gabrielle has only continued to impress, recently joining Triple Eight Race Engineering’s Red Bull Ampol Racing team at the 2022 Bathurst 1000 event in early October.
With dreams of one day becoming the owner of her own mechanical workshop, Gabrielle hopes to use the Leading Edge course to build her business skills.
Read more HERE.
Congratulations to Kim Siegmann from Cairns Car Brokers, who has been awarded the Executive Ready Scholarship.
In her role as Owner and Managing Director, Kim oversees a range of operations in the business from accounts, financing, and licensing, to marketing, administration, and customer service. Over her 15 years managing the business, Kim has placed high importance on continual professional development, with plans to use the Executive Ready course to advance her leadership capability and unlock the full potential of her staff.
As Vice-President of the Cairns Businesswomen’s Club, Kim would also like to use the opportunity to grow her presence in the community, supporting women across both the greater Cairns region, and the automotive industry as a whole.
Read more HERE.
Congratulations to Lily Armstrong, an apprentice mechanic from Albany Creek Auto Centre, who has been awarded the Leading Edge Scholarship.
Inspired by her father, a fitter and turner by trade, Lily began a school-based traineeship back in 2019. After graduation, she continued working as a trade assistant, before taking on her light vehicle apprenticeship. Now, at just 20 years old, Lily is nearing the final year of her training, and has found her place at Albany Creek Auto Centre, constantly supported and encouraged by those around her. She hopes to use the Leading Edge program to further her career and develop new leadership skills.
“My goal is to one day become a workshop manager and supervisor. In such a male dominated industry, it is amazing to see so many women taking on leadership roles and making a name for themselves,” said Lily. “This scholarship is an amazing opportunity to invest in young women and help them better equip themselves to be future leaders, and I hope to use its teachings to do just that!”
Congratulations to Angela Jones, the manager at ASR Collision Specialists, who has been awarded the Executive Ready Scholarship.
After 12 years of owning and managing her own mechanical workshop in Cairns, Angela sold the business in 2008. Having her Bachelor of Economics Degree, Graduate Program, and Cert IV in Accounting, Angela completed contract bookkeeping for a variety of businesses before becoming the Finance Officer at a solar company who controlled 24 entities across Australia. Unable to shake her passion for the automotive industry, Angela began working in the accounts team at ASR Collision Specialists in 2016 and stepped into the role of Manager in 2021, where she oversees a range of operations in the business and leads a diverse mix of people.
“I am a firm believer in lifelong learning and know that the knowledge I will gain from this Scholarship will not only benefit me personally, but my entire team. I stepped into the role during a time of COVID-19 chaos and navigated the company through challenging times to achieve an unprecedented financial milestone for the company last month,” said Angela. “I understand there is a difference between management and leadership and hope to use the Executive Ready program to learn the skills and knowledge necessary to create the right environment so that both the company and its people can thrive.”
Congratulations to Laura Luckie from Pat’s Pro Resto’s & Refinishing, who has been awarded the Leading Edge Scholarship.
After working many years in the automotive industry in an accounts/payroll position, Laura decided she was ready for a change. With a passion for cars and a desire to get hands-on, she signed up for her apprenticeship back in 2021 at Pat’s Pro Resto’s & Refinishing. Here, Laura gets to work on a variety of high-end vehicles, including Hot Rods, Street Machines, and Classics. From full restorations to custom builds and everything in between, Laura loves being an automotive refinisher and wouldn’t change it for the world.
“I like everything about the job! It is hard work, but the satisfaction of completing a build is so incredible, it makes it all worth it,” said Laura. “Nowadays you hear so many stories of strong, female leaders making a name for themselves, it is very inspiring. I want to be that for the next generation and believe the Leading Edge course will bring me one step closer to my goals. I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity and plan to make the most of it.”
Congratulations to Leah Davis from Cricks Tweed, who has been awarded the Executive Ready Scholarship.
Leah first entered the automotive industry as a trainee salesperson at the age of 18. After gaining experience across a range of different roles, Leah became the Administration Manager of her own Von Bibra branch. After a decade with the company, Leah was ready for the next best thing, joining the team at Cricks Tweed as Financial Controller. A valued member of their leadership team, Leah oversees the accounting activities in the organisation, including providing accurate and timely information to guide decision-making.
“I absolutely love the automotive industry and am always looking for ways to further my knowledge. The more I learn, the more I realise there is still so much to learn! My passion for cars, and the industry, fuels my desire to reach my goals, and I definitely set them high!” said Leah. “I would like to be the Dealer Principal of my own dealership and I believe the Executive Ready scholarship is an incredible opportunity for growth, both professionally and personally, that will help propel me to where I need to be.”
Congratulations to Sophie-Jo Forsythe from S J Fitting Services, who has been awarded the Leading Edge Scholarship.
A qualified light vehicle mechanic, Sophie-Jo is committed to promoting diversity and empowering women to thrive in a traditionally male-dominated automotive industry. By undertaking the Leading Edge course, Sophie hopes to gain comprehensive leadership training to support her ambition of becoming a role model for women and underrepresented cohorts in the automotive industry and pave the way for those entering the workforce.
“Being the recipient of this scholarship means a lot to me, it will help me to develop the necessary skills and knowledge on how to be able to contribute further to my trade and the people I work with and to be able to exceed expectations of being a leading hand and knowing how to correctly communicate and manage tasks that may be thrown my way and delegated to me.”
Congratulations to Maud-Ellen Berge from SEQ Campers, who has been awarded the Executive Ready Scholarship.
With five years of experience in the retail industry, including the last two years as General Manager at SEQ Campers, Maud-Ellen is excited to take on the opportunity to complete the Executive Ready course to expand her leadership credentials and deliver growth in her career.
“I’m incredibly honoured to have been awarded this scholarship for the Executive Ready course. As the General Manager at SEQ Campers, Sunshine Coast, I’ve spent the last two years working diligently to drive our company forward, drawing on my five years of experience in the industry. This course represents a pivotal opportunity for me to enhance my leadership skills and strategic thinking, equipping me to better lead our team and also contribute to my future goals and aspirations.”
SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORS
