WiTWA’s Techtrails Community Event: “CAREERS OF THE FUTURE” - STEM is for Everyone

Would you like the opportunity to pick the brains of WA's Young Australian of the Year?

Perhaps you'd like the opportunity to ask two 40under40 Business News award winners about their career journey?

What about a high-profile woman working at global tech giant AWS sharing her journey and the pathways available to your children to do the same?

Join us at Leeming Senior High School for WiTWA's Techtrails Community Event: "CAREERS OF THE FUTURE".

Did you know?

90% of jobs will need digital skills in the next 2 to 5 years.

65% of students starting primary school now will one day work in jobs that don't even exist yet.

50% of current jobs with skills shortage are in the field of science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM).

About the Event:

As we stand at the crossroads where today's technology shapes tomorrow's professions, grasping the full range of opportunities within STEM is crucial, especially so for women and girls. Our Techtrails STEM Programs are dedicated to bridging this gap, providing insights into both current and future career pathways. We're setting the stage for inspirational women in STEM to share their stories, breaking down gender stereotypes and illustrating how diversity drives innovation.

Our Community Event is an information session for Parents, Guardians, Teachers, and Career Counsellors who want to understand what career options are available for their children/students and what the future looks like as we navigate the inevitable changes of the evolving digital world.

We will go through some myth-busting with the theme - STEM is for Everyone. And we genuinely mean EVERYONE! 

👩‍🔬 Is your child curious, responsible, kind, creative, thoughtful, resilient, confident? Great - we have plenty of incredible role models in the STEM field who exhibit these traits! 

👩‍💻 Do you worry your child might be too shy, impulsive, stubborn, anxious, easily distracted, sensitive, defiant, or introverted? Great - we also have plenty of incredible role models in the STEM field who exhibit these traits! 

👩‍🚀 Do you think that this career option is only for academically gifted children? Speak with role models who left school at 16 and still carved a successful career in tech.

We will walk you through resources like our Careers Discovery Platform, which is designed to help students explore different educational approaches and align personal passions with potential STEM careers. We aim to close the educational divide and create a world of endless opportunities for all.

Together, we can ensure that our children become not only consumers of technology but also its creators and leaders. Join us as we empower the next generation with the tools and confidence to build a brighter, STEM-driven future.

Event Agenda:

5:00pm: Arrival and registration (Light refreshments)

5:30pm: Introduction and Acknowledgement to Country

5:35pm: WiTWA Overview

5:40pm: Myth Busting and STEMPower

5:45pm: Panel Discussion with STEM industry specialists

6:05pm: Q&A

6:15pm: Intro to industry - AWS, Kinetic IT, Data#3, WiTWA, Techtrails, Public Transport Authority, Department of Education +++

6:30pm: Networking with speakers and industry experts

7:00pm Event concludes

Meet the Speakers: 

⭐ MC's - Kay Hargreaves & Teagen McEwan⭐

⭐ Panel Moderator - Tina Ambrose ⭐

Tina Ambrose is the Founder and CEO of a Technology Recruitment company, Co-Chair of Women in Technology WA and mum of two active boys. She is recognised in the business world for her success, including winning a Business News 40under40 Award.

Tina advocates for women in the technology industry and volunteers her "spare" time unpacking bias, removing barriers and inspiring the next generation to enter the field of technology.

A West Australian Newspaper article covering a little of Tina's journey - Found here.

⭐ Kate Kirwin - SheCode Australia - WA Young Australian of the year ⭐

Kate Kirwin founded She Codes Australia in 2015 with the aim of teaching women coding skills, helping them enter technical careers and building a like-minded community. 

Born in regional WA, Kate strongly believes in empowering women from some of Australia's most remote regions. So far, more than 7000 women from all over the country have learned to code through She Codes.

Kate's work is closing the gender gap in tech, where only 30 per cent of employees are women. She has sourced more than $1 million from government and industry to support women in STEM. 

Her achievements have been recognised with the Business News 40 Under 40 Award and The West Australian's Rising Star Award. She was recently named WA's 2024 Young Australian of the Year.

⭐ Alana Atkinson - AWS Training and certification Lead ⭐

Alana first joined the technology industry 15 years ago as an Account Manager.

Her ambition, talent, and drive have seen her work for some of the largest technology companies in Perth. This has led to her current role leading training and certification for the Software and Digital Native Business segment at tech giant AWS, one of the largest tech companies in the world.

Her empathy, humanity and generosity inspire her volunteer work in the Technology Community across WA - where she gives her time to supporting inclusive communities like DDD and Women in Technology WA.

In her spare time, she coaches kids basketball and is assistant manager for the local footy team.

⭐ Yasmine Mendoza - Data#3 Educational industry development manager and ex-microsoft⭐

Yasmine Mendoza's journey in the IT industry spans 23 years. Yasmine's career took a significant leap forward when she became part of one of the largest global IT distributors, initially as a Product Manager, then as a Business Development Manager, and eventually as a Business Manager for two of their premier vendors aligned to software and hardware. This role was a precursor to her transition to Microsoft, where she was first in a local Partner Manager role and then in a regional role as an ANZ Partner Operations Manager.

The return to Perth marked a turning point in Yasmine's career. She discovered her true passion in the education sector with Data#3, a valued partner she had engaged with throughout her professional journey. 

Having left school in year 11, Yasmine will share her non-university pathway into tech.

⭐Kara Symes - Public Transport Authority Senior Signals Engineer⭐

A fascination with lightbulbs in high school physics lead Kara down the road of studying Electrical Power Engineering and wanting to work in power generation and transmission. But in an unexpected series of events, she found herself in the railway at the Public Transport Authority – take everything you know and forget it! Her days are filled with passionate people, problem solving, purposeful public transport works and a healthy dose of "light goes on, light goes off'!

We understand that attending an event can be daunting. Rest assured, our friendly WiTWA team will be present throughout the evening to provide support and ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment (something very important to us here at WiTWA!).

Light refreshments will be provided, allowing you to stay energised and focused on the valuable content and connections the Event offers.

This program is made possible by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, our proud funding partners.