BAE Systems Australia will offer academic scholarships to women from regional Australia who aspire to study engineering ahead of a career in defence industry.
In 1988, Flight Lieutenant Robyn Williams and Officer Cadet Deborah Hicks etched their names in history as the first Australian women to become pilots in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Hicks was the youngest female pilot in Australia to fly solo, and Williams was one of the RAAF’s first female engineers.
Inspired by the achievements of these two trail blazing women and aligned to this year’s UN International Women’s Day theme “Count Her In: Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”, the inaugural Williams Hicks Engineering Scholarship will be available to women from across regional Australia.
The scholarship will provide a pathway for talented women from regional areas to be supported through their engineering degree and, upon graduation, pursue a career with BAE Systems Australia.
BAE Systems will also provide opportunities for these students to undertake work placements across the company over the course of their studies, giving the students industry experience aligned to their degree.
The company stated that the scholarships are just one of the ways that they are looking to provide equal opportunities for women in line with their gender equity principles, which seek to embrace and promote fairness, equity, opportunity and inclusivity for all.
“We are passionate about championing gender equity across our business and the scholarship program we’re launching celebrates the inspirational story of both Deborah and Robyn and will provide pathways for women from regional Australia to pursue rewarding careers in the high technology defence sector," said Ben Hudson, Chief Executive Officer, BAE Systems Australia.
“These scholarships are in addition to a number of initiatives BAE Systems Australia has introduced to recruit the nation’s top talent through programs including STEM Returners; Degree Apprenticeships in partnership with leading universities; mature-aged apprenticeships; and veteran opportunities in partnership with organisations such as WithyouWithMe.”
BAE Systems will seek applications from August 2024, with the first four scholarship winners announced in January 2025 to coincide with university intakes. The program is envisaged to grow through the addition of four scholarships per year, ultimately supporting up to 16 female engineering students from regional Australia.