UNIQ You - Aus

Today we shared the May edition of our UNIQ News: Queensland Government Edition.

This month you will meet two incredible women from the Queensland Police Service and the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services’ Rural Fire Service.

You will also learn of an amazing initiative TMR launched back in 2016 and about a partnership between the Digital Professional Workforce Action Plan (DPWP) and the Australian Computer Society (ACS) involving a group of dynamic young tech ambassadors promoting digital career opportunities and inspiring the next generation of digital leaders and innovators.

We hope you enjoy it 👉 https://loom.ly/Lls2Vro

*ADVISOR SHOUTOUT*

Allison thought she wanted to do something in the medical field when she left school but when her Dad started to read the job descriptions rather than the course titles, it sparked her interest in engineering. Allison ended up changing all of her preferences and hasn’t looked back since!

Starting out at Boeing Aerostructures Australia as a Materials and Process Technology Engineer, Allison was part of designing and qualifying most of the processes used to fabricate the 787 Moveable Trailing Edge (which is on the wing).

Allison has taken all that knowledge with her into current role in Quality and has found the practical, hands-on experience helps her be a better engineer.

Allison has always been (and will always be) passionate about bringing more women into STEM careers and we are thrilled to have her on board as one of our newest UNIQ You advisors.

She’s ready to talk about all things engineering, how her job helps build aeroplanes and the great balancing act that is being a full-time working Mum.

Allison’s advice for young girls today, “You are going to be fine. Take the risk, it’s going to be different from what you expected, but you are going to LOVE it.”

UNIQ You welcomes new Advisor Katherine Hall from the Queensland Government Customer and Digital Group to the service.

Like so many, Katherine didn’t know what she wanted to do when she left school, but felt pulled to go to university, so enrolled in a double degree in Business (Advertising) and Creative Industries (Media & Communication). There were elements of her degrees that Katherine really enjoyed but also elements that she really did NOT enjoy (accounting, economics, finance).

Near the end of her degree the job market was quite tough, so Katherine identified event management as the field she might like to work in and secured a volunteering position with an event company for experience. The position turned into a full-time job which Katherine did while finishing her degree but she quickly discovered event management wasn’t for her, but she still didn’t know what was!

Learning about the many different career pathways available within the Queensland Government, Katherine applied for A LOT of entry level roles just to get her foot in the door and eventually landed a position as a Customer Service Advisor. This marked the beginning of her public service career.

Katherine quickly progressed on to other roles in the ICT (Information and communications technology) space, including project support, governance and reporting, executive advisory and now, change management. Katherine didn’t know any of these roles even existed when she was at uni and is living proof that maintaining an open mind, volunteering and constantly learning and up-skilling provides opportunities.

Katherine loves her position as a Strategic Change Manager with the Queensland Government Customer and Digital Group but had no idea it was what she would end up doing!

Katherine’s advice for young girls today, “You don’t need to have all the answers (or any!). Just an open mind, positive attitude and willingness to get out of your comfort zone. Trust your ability to ‘figure things out’ along the way.”

Nansita has always had a keen interest in aircraft and as a child and pre-teen would constantly help her dad with any home projects which also made her realise her passion for all things hands-on! She also loved woodworks and metal works at high school which saw her choose engineering as one of her subjects from year 9 to 12.

During high school, the more Nansita learned about the aviation industry the more it intrigued her even if it was considered a male dominated profession. This was clearly evident when Nansita was only 1 of 2 girls in her engineering class!

After Nansita graduated from high school she pursued Mechanical Engineering at university hoping it would see her working in the hanger and on the tarmac, however after a year realised it wasn’t the path that would get her where she wanted to go. Nansita stopped her course and came across a TAFE course for Aeroskills Cert 2, enrolled and absolutely loved it!

During this time Nansita was able to apply for the Boeing Female Apprenticeship Program and was lucky to be selected as part of the first intake in September 2022.

There have been bittersweet moments for Nansita on her apprenticeship journey, most notably having to move interstate away from family but all-in-all the apprenticeship has been a dream come true and ultimately it is leading her on a path to her dream career. Nansita can’t wait to finish her apprenticeship and see what her future holds!

Nansita is new to the UNIQ You service and excited to share how she decided what she wanted to do, the obstacles and pressures she faced and how she continues to propel forward.

Her advice for young girls today, “I would tell my 15 year old self to focus on her goals and that she will achieve them if she keeps at it and doesn’t give up.”

*ADVISOR SHOUTOUT*

Ginni is the Grower Relationship Manager for Qube Agriculture, and works to build the services Qube can offer growers for delivery and sale of their grain.

Ginni has always been passionate about agriculture and the bush and has worked in commodity logistics since graduating from Sydney University. Her work has taken her to the UK, Switzerland and Kenya as she strives to gain more knowledge and understanding of primary production, the systems and the people involved in it.

Now settled back in the region she grew up in, Ginni loves that her job enables her to be part of her community, both through work and in sport and music pursuits.

Ginni’s advice for young girls today, “Be yourself - an original is worth more than a copy.”

In Term 1, UNIQ You reached 1,099 high school girls in years 9-12, through our school presentations, small groups and one-on-one sessions which connect high school girls with women in male-dominated industries.

Every UNIQ You session focuses on increasing girls’ CONFIDENCE, KNOWLEDGE and INTEREST in roles in male-dominated industries through our Advisors sharing their journey, experiences and advice.

In a recent small group session between female students from Manor Lakes College, Brooke Martinsen from QUBE and Brooke Tooze from the Queensland Government Customer and Digital Group, not only did the students learn more about industries and roles they knew little about but they could apply the advice from these amazing women to their situation right now.

“I liked how open and straightforward both the advisors were when presenting and the information they shared was not confined to an industry but was more open ended and suited to our situation. They really boosted my confidence in the fact that not knowing what I wanted to do was okay.” - Year 10 Student, Manor Lakes College

Thank you Brooke Martinsen and Brooke Tooze for sharing your journey and being able to connect with these girls in their situation today while also opening their eyes to a future full of possibilities.

To book a session or to find out more about our service, email us at [email protected]

*ADVISOR SHOUTOUT*

Georgia finished year 12 in November 2019, and was accepted into a Bachelor of Criminal Justice and a Bachelor of Psychological Science at Griffith University.

In February 2020 Georgia commenced studying full time at university but in May 2020 she turned 18 and was eligible to apply for recruitment as a Queensland Police Officer, so did it!

The Covid 19 pandemic and an unexpected knee reconstruction put a halt on everything for a few months but in just over a year and half, Georgia accepted an offer as a Police recruit at the Oxley Police Academy.

Georgia was sworn into the Queensland Police Service on the 30th of June 2022 as a Constable of Queensland Police and is currently working in the Logan district as a general duties Police Officer.

Georgia is excited to discuss with young female students the diverse nature of her job and how she knew the Police Service was for her. Her advice for young girls today, “Never expect anyone to give you what you want. Work hard, show some dedication and go get it yourself.”

Our small group conversations are designed to take place between Advisors and 2-5 students and like all UNIQ You conversations strive to increase young girls’ knowledge, confidence and interest in pathways into male-dominated roles.

They ensure students get the most out of the conversation and we offer a range of themes to choose from, which helps students prepare their questions.

Recently Darcy Modina and Joanna Ly from BMD Group took part in a small group conversation with a small group of female students from Yeronga State High School. The sharing of their journey and success had an immediate impact!

“Hearing about other women's success, especially in male dominated careers is always encouraging. In my opinion, listening to the advisors' personal stories and the processes they went through to get to their positions was the most helpful.” - Year 12 Student, Yeronga State High School

To book a session or to find out more about our service, email us at [email protected]

Welcome back to all of our Queensland students and teachers returning to school for Term 2 of 2024 this week!

We’re kicking off Term 2 with an Advisor Shoutout to Natasha Page, Data Analytics Consultant from Aurecon.

Natasha is part of the Transport team at Aurecon and loves being able to use data to help people to make better decisions.

Growing up in Guildford, England Natahsa enjoyed puzzles but kept trying to convince herself that she didn’t like maths because it wasn’t “cool”.

Natasha finally abandoned that view at age 16 and chose maths as one of her A Levels and went on to study maths at university.

Since university, Natasha has been lucky to work in all sorts of industries including healthcare, transport, and even biosecurity.

At age 23 she decided to go back to university to study Data Science which opened doors to more technical roles, including being sponsored to move to Australia!

Natasha’s advice for young girls today, “It’s not uncool to like things - it’s OK to get involved and you don’t need to feel embarrassed for being good at something.”

*ADVISOR SHOUTOUT*

After graduating high school with some uncertainty clouding her career path, Brodie embarked on a journey to explore various interests and passions.

After stumbling upon the intricacies of law and being intrigued by its ability to shape and safeguard society with the possibility of being able to help people, Brodie had a newfound determination to pursue a law degree. She was fuelled by the desire to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others.

After working in private practice, Brodie took an opportunity which guided her towards a career as an in-house lawyer.

Combining her legal acumen with a penchant for problem-solving, Brodie found fulfilment in navigating complex legal landscapes within the construction industry as Legal Counsel for BMD Group.

Brodie’s journey of uncertainty transformed into one of purpose and conviction, that has shaped her into a confident and impactful professional.

Brodie is new to the UNIQ You service and is looking forward to discussing everything from what she loves about working in construction and the difference between working in private practice versus in-house at BMD Group.

Welcome Brodie, we’re looking forward to you sharing your story!

Today we shared the April edition of our UNIQ News: Queensland Government Edition.

In this month’s edition we share an update on UNIQ You’s reach so far this year and reflect on International Women’s Day and the women recognised at events held by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES).

You will also learn about a valuable opportunity to explore technology industries through the Queensland Government Customer and Digital Group’s I CAN TECH program and the career journey of a First Class Firefighter from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.

We hope you enjoy it 👉 https://loom.ly/BZbV4nc

*ADVISOR SHOUTOUT*

All through high school Chloe wanted to be a lawyer but when she graduated, she wasn’t so sure. Instead, one week after graduation, Chloe started working full-time in a plumbing shop as a Customer Service/Admin Officer.

In school, Chloe watched her Dad be involved in Auxiliary Firefighting and thought it was pretty cool, so decided to also join Auxiliaries. Chloe then joined the State Emergency Service as a volunteer and stayed in both positions for seven years.

When an opportunity came up to work for the Rural Fire Service (RFS) as an Administration Officer for a 3-month contract, Chloe took a leap of faith and left her job she’d had for 7 years. The 3-month opportunity turned into 2 years of admin work for RFS!

Along this journey, Chloe created great working relationships and was lucky to have a great female mentor.

After a couple of failed attempts, Chloe was successful in securing the First Nations Bushfire Safety Officer role for Rural Fire Service Far Northern.

Chloe’s advice for young girls today, “Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean you can’t be it. Work hard, take every opportunity, you never know what the future may hold.”