Professional Women: Networking Opportunity

More than 200 professional women from across Australia will converge in Sydney to gain an insight into mentoring at a dedicated conference this week.

The Parliamentary Secretary for Children and Youth Affairs, the Hon Sussan Ley, today officially opened the Promoting Professional Women Conference and Mentoring Program at the APESMA Professional Women’s Network Conference in Sydney.

“The APESMA conference will bring together women from many professions, who are interested in supporting and developing mentoring programs in the workplace,” Mrs Ley said.

“The conference will assist in extending professional networks, it will provide access to experts and build career management skills and contacts.

“This is a great opportunity for those interested in mentoring programs and extending their professional networks to listen and learn from Australian experts.

“The Howard Government has allocated $50,000 to this conference under its Women’s Development Programme Project Grants 2004-05.”

APESMA was granted funds to design, implement and deliver an innovative mentoring program to aid professional women who wish to assume leadership positions and to have access to personally and financially rewarding careers.

“Under the program, funding is available for not-for-profit and non-government organisations to represent the diverse views of women by providing support activities that strengthen women’s voices and contribute to better policy development.

“I am delighted to be opening a conference which will contribute to improving the status of women across Australia by addressing a variety of issues that affect women,” Mrs Ley said.