Exclusive scholarship opportunities for women working in ECEC

Partial scholarships of between $1,000 and $5,000 are being offered by Women & Leadership Australia (WLA) for women who are working in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector who wish to improve their leadership skills, build networks and connections with women from other fields and professions, and participate in flexible professional development. 

 

Best known for their high-impact programs, WLA organises world-class events and expert insights for women at every stage of their leadership journey, with the ECEC scholarships tailored for women across four specialised tiers: 

 

Impact program – this tier is for women who are in non-leadership roles, but who wish to develop their  impact and satisfaction at work, building not only key workplace skills and their confidence, but also reflective capacity and connections with women from other fields. 

 

Leading Edge program – designed for those aspiring and early career managers, this tier gives women connections with other leaders at a similar career point, offering motivation, collegiality and skill development. 

 

Executive Ready program – mid-level leaders who aspire to a more senior leadership role are supported to build on their existing skills and experience and take their leadership to the next level. 

 

Advanced Leadership program – in this tier senior and executive leaders explore best-practice leadership strategies to develop their ability to lead change, manage conflict, and coach staff, whilst creating new connections and stretching themselves beyond their comfort zone.

 

At all levels, the programs combine evidence based theory and applied learning to drive high impact practice which is tailored specifically to female leaders with flexible, part-time and online delivery which aligns with the many competing demands they face. 

 

Content in the courses is designed not only to reflect expectations and experiences of leaders at each different tier, but also to be implemented quickly and easily into the existing leadership workflow. 

 

Peer coaching sessions, which consist of women from many different sectors and industries, expose participants to the experience of coaching, and being coached by others, as well as giving unique insights into the challenges and complexities faced by women in divergent leadership spaces. 

 

Previous participants in the program have reflected on the experience, saying the experience of gender based, leadership specific professional development has not only facilitated their personal and professional growth, but also about various functional aspects of leadership such as guiding change management or the dysfunction and engagement of teams. 

 

“In terms of my own coping mechanisms,” one participant explained, “I’m much more relaxed, in spite of the busy role that I have, and the challenges that I face.” 

 

“Courses like these help,” she continued. “The bottom line is the glass ceiling still exists. Daily there are challenges which demonstrate unconscious bias. Being in these courses places you in an environment where women can learn skills and realise that they’re not in isolation.” 

 

Scholarship applications for all four tiers are open now, and close Friday 9 June 2023. Enrolments are strictly limited. 

 

To find out more or to apply, please visit the dedicated ECEC scholarship page, or phone 1300 938 571