The ARA is calling for participants for its 2024 Women in Rail Mentoring Program, which provides tailored, professional career development guidance for female rail professionals.  

This year’s mentors are drawn from a wide pool of leading rail professionals from various rail organisations, including Alstom, Rio Tinto, Sydney Trains, Laing O’Rourke Australia Construction, Arup, John Holland, Downer, Arc Infrastructure and Aurecon. 

The ARA’s Women in Rail Mentoring Program, which has doubled in capacity since it began in 2019, was established to support, guide and retain women working in rail, which is critical to a sustainable workforce. 

Female mentees are paired with male or female mentors who can share their own career experiences and offer advice to support the mentee’s career and leadership development.  

The nine-month program will be delivered in a virtual format and will take place from April 9 to December 17. Participants will spend one to two hours every two weeks speaking with their mentor or mentee and following up on any agreed actions. It will also include about 25 hours of training, reading and webinars over the life of the program. 

The ARA released a new, three-year Women in Rail Strategy last year aimed at improving diversity and increasing female representation at all levels of the rail industry and also provides career development scholarships for women. 

“Diversity in the workplace drives improved performance, innovation and better solutions. Our vision is for an inclusive and diverse rail industry that is seen as an employer of choice for women,” ARA CEO Caroline Wilkie said. 

“We are committed to fostering equality of opportunity for women in the rail sector by empowering women at every level of the industry.” 

The ARA has also developed a Gender Diversity Resources Guide for rail organisations who are seeking support and guidance around what steps to take and what resources are available to support a gender inclusive workplace. 

The guide aims to inform and support organisations identify and address gender equality gaps in their organisations and implement strategies to address this. 

It includes several best practice resources that are free and available online, many of which have been developed by the Australian Government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA). 

Applications for the Women in Rail Mentoring Program close on 8 March. For more information, click here or contact ARA Senior Event Manager Caitlin Tsioumas.