Hydro Tasmania is serious about workplace diversity, and taking another step towards supporting it.

Australia’s leading renewable energy business has been unveiled as one of two sponsors for Engineers Australia’s Women in Engineering Scholarship.

The new scholarship program aims to boost the number of women entering engineering careers, which have traditionally been highly male-dominated.

The scholarships will be awarded to two female engineering students each year. The recipients will receive $5000 each to help fund text books, study fees, and other services that support their study.

This year’s inaugural Hydro Tasmania Scholarship winner is Lucy Watt - a former Mt Carmel College and Guilford Young College student studying first-year Engineering at the University of Tasmania. Lucy’s always had a talent for maths and science, and was inspired by a visit to the UTas Science & Engineering Challenge in Grade 10.

Hydro Tasmania CEO, Steve Davy, said the energy industry, and particularly engineering roles, has traditionally been very male-dominated.

“Our industry is working towards a much better balance, but there’s still plenty of work to do,” Mr Davy said.

“The Hydro Tasmania group employs more than 1,100 people. While just under a third of them are women, that ratio is steadily increasing in recent years. And our target to boost the proportion of women in management roles to at least 30 per cent by 2020 has already been exceeded.

“We want to ensure aspiring female engineers have a clear and confident career path, and feel appreciated by would-be employers. They need to know the engineering’s no longer a boys’ club, that a strong career is within their reach, and businesses like Hydro Tasmania will support them. That’s why we’re delighted to support the Women in Engineering Scholarship,” he said.

Last year, Hydro Tasmania signed-up to the Clean Energy Council’s Women in Renewables Leaders’ Pledge and established a networking and development program to encourage women in leadership. Almost half the people selected for Hydro Tasmania’s annual Graduate Program are women, although they’re still under-represented in engineering positions.

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Released for Hydro Tasmania by Rowan Dix, (03) 62305330 / 0409 722359 / media@hydro.com.au.