More than 70 members of the Gippsland Women in Industry Network (GWIN) came together for the network’s eighth event, creating a valuable opportunity for women and industry leaders to share experiences, explore challenges, and identify practical actions to strengthen female participation across traditionally male-dominated industries.
The event focused on fostering honest conversations about the experiences of women working in heavy industry, while also highlighting the important role that male allies play in creating inclusive and supportive workplaces. The program included networking, facilitated workshop discussions and a keynote presentation from Scott Milliner, Head of Maintenance and Outages at AGL Loy Yang, who shared his personal experiences and insights on allyship in the workplace.
Throughout the morning, attendees participated in discussions covering key topics including barriers women face in their roles, opportunities to attract more women into heavy industries, and the impact that supportive leaders, mentors and advocates can have on career development. These conversations generated valuable insights and practical ideas that will help inform future initiatives across the region.
Speaking at the event, Scott Milliner reflected on the importance of visible allyship and the role leaders can play in creating environments where everyone feels valued, respected and supported to succeed. His contribution reinforced the event’s key theme that meaningful progress towards gender equity requires both women and men working together to drive change.
Organised through a collaboration of industry and education partners, the GWIN network continues to provide a platform for women to connect, share experiences and influence positive change across Gippsland’s industrial sectors. The event was inspired by feedback from previous network gatherings, where participants identified the significant impact that strong male allies can have in supporting women throughout their careers.
Feedback from attendees highlighted the value of creating a safe and practical environment for open discussion, collaboration and networking. Participants shared examples of positive allyship, mentorship, sponsorship and inclusive leadership, while also identifying opportunities to further support women entering and progressing within industry.
GWIN committee members Jayne Hassett - Alinta Energy Loy Yang B, Matt Taylor and Janine McPhee -Woodside, Kellie Romano – Energy Australia, Leah Vicino and Rhonda Noble – TAFE Gippsland and Lisa Briggs – AGL Loy Yang all remarked the strong turnout, and engagement demonstrated the network’s continued importance across Gippsland.
The willingness of participants to openly share their experiences and ideas made this one of our most engaging events to date. The discussions reinforced that while progress is being made, there is still more we can do together to attract, support and retain women in industry. Having leaders such as Scott share their perspective on allyship helps broaden the conversation and encourages positive action across our workplaces.
The Gippsland Women in Industry Network will continue working with industry partners, education providers and community stakeholders to promote greater diversity, inclusion and career opportunities for women throughout the region.