We are proud to be the Education Provider for Clean Energy Council’s Chloe Munro Scholarship for Transformational Leadership, contributing to full scholarships for emerging female leaders in the fields of clean energy, energy management and carbon abatement.
About the client
The Clean Energy Council is the peak body for the clean energy industry in Australia – a not-for-profit, membership-based organisation. The Clean Energy Council’s Women in Renewables initiative enables and champions women working in the renewable energy industry. Bringing together a coalition of funding organisations, Clean Energy Council established the Chloe Munro Scholarship for Transformational Leadership to support the next wave of female leaders in the fields of renewable energy, energy management and carbon abatement.
Challenge: Boosting gender equity in a male-dominated industry
According to Kane Thornton, Clean Energy Council Chief Executive, the energy sector remains male-dominated. To provide targeted skills development and networking opportunities to women leaders in the sector, the Clean Energy Council sought an education partner to deliver high-quality, impactful leadership development experiences for emerging and mid-level women leaders in their industry.
“Despite the Australian clean energy sector performing better than the average for the global renewable energy industry when it comes to the employment of women, we know that it remains predominantly masculine, with more than 60 per cent of the workforce identifying as men. The representation of women drops further as we focus in on senior leadership roles or board positions.
“Skills development, knowledge-sharing and mentorship play an essential part in improving the representation of women in leadership roles.
“The benefits in creating greater equity in leadership will go beyond the renewables industry.” - Kane Thornton, Clean Energy Council Chief Executive
Solution: Women’s leadership programs
As the Education Provider for this project, Women & Leadership Australia has provided partial industry scholarships to 46 participants since 2021. These recipients have taken part in two flagship programs: the Leading Edge program for emerging leaders and the Executive Ready program for mid-level leaders
A Graduate’s Experience
Mio Dart, Head Of Technical Partnerships at Allume Energy, participated in Women & Leadership Australia’s Leading Edge program via the Chloe Munro Transformational Leadership scholarship. The Leading Edge program equipped her with essential leadership skills, including effective communication, strategic thinking, and mentorship.
“The Leading Edge Program came at a really useful time, because I was transitioning from being a peer to more of somebody in leadership within that team and also starting to manage my first full time person.”
“I wanted to be a better people manager. I’d had so little experience in it when I started the course and so I wanted to make sure that I was doing right by the person, and hopefully people, in the future that will be reporting to me.”
Mio’s Key Takeaways:
- Transformative Leadership: Mio’s participation in the Leading Edge program significantly enhanced her leadership skills and confidence.
- Self-Awareness and Communication: She gained a deeper understanding of her personality type, leading to more direct and effective communication.
- Navigating Change and Challenges: Mio effectively applied the program’s learnings to address organizational changes and interpersonal conflicts.
- Positive Impact on Career and Organization: Her enhanced leadership skills fostered a more cohesive team and contributed to organizational success.
Mio’s experience demonstrates the transformative power of leadership development programs. By investing in her growth, Mio was able to elevate her career and positively impact her organization.
Outcomes: Capability, confidence and collaboration
“This unique program supports emerging women leaders to establish a strong network, building their leadership capability, confidence and drive and collaborate to continue to change the Australian energy system.” – Kane Thornton, Clean Energy Council Chief Executive
The Clean Energy Council’s partnership with Women & Leadership Australia has proven to be a pivotal step towards addressing the gender imbalance in the Australian energy sector.
By providing targeted leadership development programs and scholarship support, the initiative has empowered emerging and mid-level women leaders to enhance their skills, build confidence, and forge strong professional networks. The success of this collaboration underscores the importance of investing in women’s leadership development to create a more equitable and sustainable future for the clean energy industry. As demonstrated by the experiences of participants like Mio Dart, these programs not only equip individuals with the tools to succeed but also contribute to positive organisational change.
