WOMEN INFLUENCING DEFENCE AND RESOURCES INDUSTRIES PROGRAM

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:03): I seek leave to make a brief explanation—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The honourable minister hasn't got as much time as the Hon. Mr Brokenshire, I am sure.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: I will start again. I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for the Status of Women a question about the defence and resources industries support for women.

Leave granted.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: The minister has told this place on other occasions of the importance of encouraging more women to enter non-traditional areas of employment such as mining and defence. Will the minister provide the chamber with details of initiatives which aim to support women in the defence and resources industries?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Public Sector Management, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister for Gambling) (15:03): I thank the honourable member for her most important question. I recently had the pleasure of attending the launch of a new industry program designed to support 60 women currently working in the defence and resources industries. The Women Influencing the Defence and Resources Industries program was launched on 13 April by the Hon. Jack Snelling, Treasurer and Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education.

The Department for Further Employment, Education, Science and Technology (DFEEST) has provided the Defence Teaming Centre and the Resources and Engineering Skills Alliance with funding to undertake the Women Influencing the Defence and Resources Industries program. The Defence Teaming Centre is the peak defence industry association in South Australia. Its role is to facilitate the collaboration and development of industry companies to work together, strengthening their ability to win a larger share of defence business locally, nationally and internationally. I am advised that the Resources and Engineering Skills Alliance was established in mid-2007 to assist mining, oil and gas, energy and related engineering companies involved in the resources sector in South Australia.

The purpose of the Women Influencing Defence and Resources Industries program is to support the roles and responsibilities of women as directors and managers, coaches and mentors, and industry advocates. The program has been developed from the Women in Defence Industry and Women in Resources SA groups and will contribute to meeting workforce demand in resources and defence industries. It aims to develop over 60 women to effectively manage and influence decision-making and workforce development by supporting their roles and responsibilities as industry advocates, directors, managers and mentors.

The program will facilitate a collaborative approach to a number of key issues. Key components of the program include coaching and mentor training, board training and community of practice. Twenty-five of the program's participants will be selected to attend three core introductory components of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course. Coaching and mentoring training will also be held after the program, and the Office for Women will be providing a session on how to develop a board CV.

The Women Influencing Defence and Resources Industries program complements the Women at Work strategy, and members of the Office for Women, DFEEST and the Department of Education and Children's Services are on the steering committee of that program. Approximately 80 men and women attended the launch and the subsequent community of practice session that was held later on that morning.

The community of practice allowed the women to discuss the positive aspects of their career and start developing a toolkit to address barriers to women's full participation in the Defence Force and resources industries. The next community of practice session will be held on 19 May 2011 at the Naval, Military and Air Force Club, with further sessions to be held in June, August and October.