Some of Australia’s leading women in technology have conducted a career information session and workshop for the region’s girls and women at Central Queensland University Rockhampton.

The events were part of a Women in Technology (WIT) regional tour of Queensland which involves some of the nation’s brightest new stars from ICT and BioTech.

Presenters include Sonja Bernhardt, the only Australian to be inducted into the Women in Technology Hall of Fame; Kim Sheree, Ambassador for Women in Technology and Winner of the Challenger Spirit Award for Outstanding Industry Achievement; Donna Sheehy, winner of the 2005 WIT PricewaterhouseCoopers Business Innovations Award; and Barbara Tobin, the first woman to hold a management role in Queensland in the communications industry.

A Technology Takes You Anywhere session was held at CQU Rockhampton on Wednesday, February 22. The session was aimed at secondary school students, parents, teachers and guidance officers and focused on career planning, job search and skills analysis.

A 2-hour workshop in Career Management provided practical advice, support from those in a similar situation and guidance from those who have been through it before.

The workshop was designed to assist women starting out in their technology careers or returning after an extended break. The session focused on identifying and articulating professional goals, developing a step-by-step plan and honing techniques to secure relevant jobs.

Photo: Participants in the CQU Rockhampton leg of the WIT tour included (from left) Ms Doreen Awabdy, Neuroscientist - University of Queensland; Ms Alison Young, IT Honours Student -Griffith University; and Ms Jenine Beekhuyzen, Women In Technology Program Manager.