Call for applications: addressing clean energy gender agenda

The Clean Energy Council is inviting applications from talented women in the clean energy industry for the 2017 round of its Developing Women Directors Scholarship.

Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton said the scholarship aims to address the gender gap in key management and director roles in the clean energy sector by funding the successful applicant to complete the Foundations of Directorship course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors, as well as providing tailored mentoring opportunities.

“The electricity supply industry lags behind other industries by more than 10% on representation of women in key management roles, with just 17.2% of the roles responsible for planning, directing and controlling business activities filled by women,” Thornton said.

“The Clean Energy Council witnessed this disparity firsthand when we received just one female nominee compared with nine male nominees for director positions at our last annual general meeting. While the Clean Energy Council board is now comprised of one-third female members, it’s clear the industry still has a long way to go.

“This scholarship is designed to support a talented woman in the sector to take the next step in her career and make a successful transition from being out in the field, or sitting at a desk, to taking a seat at a renewable energy boardroom table,” he said.

The Clean Energy Council’s Women in Renewables initiative, established in 2015, has already made a strong impact on the visibility and representation of women in the sector. The inaugural Developing Women Directors Scholarship was awarded to Deborah Oberon from AllGrid Energy, who found winning the scholarship to be a boost to her skills and confidence.

“Winning the scholarship marked a significant turning point for me in terms of learning to truly value my experience, skills and commitment to this industry. It has helped to create many opportunities for me to give presentations and be included on panels at conferences,” Oberon said.

“I have always been aware of how few women there are in upper management in this industry, and being awarded the scholarship made me all the more determined to change this.

“When all the research shows that businesses that achieve gender parity on their boards do better on every single business metric, it becomes beyond obvious that the sooner this industry gets more women in leadership, the better chance we will have to create a healthy, stable climate through clean and renewable energy.”

In addition to the scholarship, the Clean Energy Council also set the goal of having at least 30% female speakers at events and no all-male speaker panels by 2017.

“At the recent Australian Clean Energy Summit in July we very nearly hit our target one year ahead of schedule, with 33% female speakers and just one all-male session,” Thornton said.

“Gender diversity is a complex issue that needs to be tackled from all angles, and we hope that through this scholarship we can inspire and encourage women across the clean energy industry to take the next step towards the boardroom.”

The Foundations of Directorship course is delivered over three full days and is available in most capital cities. The study days can be completed consecutively or separately, depending on individual preference. The successful applicant will also receive a one-year membership to the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an offer of mentorship from a senior industry representative.

For details of the scholarship and to submit an application, visit cleanenergycouncil.org.au/women. The deadline for applications is 9 October.