Coles has partnered with Dream Big Australia to encourage women to build and succeed in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) careers.
It is hoped the initiative will help address the inequality in the number of women compared to men working in the STEAM industry by providing career-enabling programs, networks, and mentoring programs to foster diversity in talent pipelines.
Melissa Robertshaw, Head of Store Customer Platforms at Coles, said partnering with Dream Big Australia provided an excellent opportunity to promote Coles as a technology employer of choice for young females across Australia.
“Partnering with the program by co-designing the syllabus and providing Coles team members to facilitate sessions will provide students with an inside view into the interesting and relatable technology challenges a business like ours needs to tackle.
“The relationship also shines a light on our commitment to addressing the STEAM skills gap for women and supporting the careers of young female Australians. Aside from just being the right thing to do, this may help further drive consideration for careers at Coles among technology professionals, both female and male.”
Robertshaw has developed a module on ‘Leading Through Adversity’ which will be delivered to women who are currently completing STEAM Bachelor degrees and participating in the ‘STEAM Ahead’ program, which supports and better prepares women to be more skilled, confident, and qualified when entering the workplace.
John Cox, Chief technology officer at Coles, said the market for tech talent is more competitive than ever.
“Having multiple pathways and opportunities that appeal to a diverse range of talented professionals is an important part of Coles’ ‘better together’ strategy for attracting and retaining talent.
“One of the exciting things about Coles Technology is that we are able to help each and every single one of our team members and customers through tangible products and experiences that make our lives easier, even in times of adversity.”
The news comes as Ampol recently announced their plans to support the next generation of female entrepreneurs in climate technology by partnering with EnergyLab and providing funding and expertise to support EnergyLab’s Women in Climate and Energy Fellowship (WICEF).