Recent Civil Engineering 'Co-op' graduate Cortney Scotney found her road to success (literally) with help from work placements on highway projects, thanks to a Main Roads scholarship*.

Now other female students have the chance to accelerate their careers by applying for a new scholarship program aimed at increasing women's participation in male-dominated fields and addressing skills shortages.

Cortney Scotney pictured on her graduation day. Other female students can apply for a special scholarship to enter male-dominated careersThe Queensland Government's $10 million Supporting Women Scholarships program encourages women to enter the fields of agriculture, architecture, engineering, geology, building services and information technology.

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Five hundred scholarships of up to $20,000 will be available over four years for women wanting to study in these fields.

The scholarships are available to women of all ages, including school leavers, women looking for a career change and women who are currently out of the workforce and returning to study.

Scholarships are available from Certificate IV through to postgraduate level.

Applications will close on Friday 12 October 2012 for scholarships starting at the beginning of the 2013 academic year. Recipients will be notified in December. See this link for more details.

* Cortney has started three years of rotation through various departments of Main Roads. Her scholarship program provided paid work with Main Roads and RoadTek during her degree, while enabling her to work in private industry along the way.