Women in Manufacturing Stepping Up Advance Program

Assistance for Women in Manufacturing
Program Overview
Training Workshops
The Subjects for the Seven Workshops
Mentoring
Mentee Participant Commitments
Program Funding
Eligibility Criteria
About the Team Delivering the Program

Enrolment for the 2009 program is closed.  10 companies with 24 participants will be participating in the 2009 program.  For more information and expressions of interest for future programs, please email first@business.nsw.gov.au.

 

Click here to download a copy of the 2009 brochure and registration form.

Assistance for Women in Manufacturing

This Program provides learning opportunities for women in manufacturing to foster best-practice and help increase competitiveness, growth and sustainability of manufacturing in New South Wales.

Participating businesses will benefit by:

• obtaining an understanding and appreciation of modern operations and supply chain management concepts and practices;
• improving their own operations through the application of newly-acquired knowledge and skills;
• building a strong network of manufacturing professionals.

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Program Overview

The Program will run for eight months, commencing March, 2009 and concluding November, 2009.

The Program consists of both an educational, training-based component and a mentoring component.

Training Workshops

Facilitated by subject-matter experts and industry practitioners, participating businesses will have the opportunity to attend seven manufacturing-relevant sessions.

These sessions will vary in format, including on-site factory visits, interactive discussions and lecture-style meetings.  These sessions will focus on providing an appreciation for and understanding of best-practice in the manufacturing and supply chain sector.

The Subjects for the Seven Workshops

• Forecasting and Supply Chain Management
• Manufacturing Processes and ERP System Fundamentals
• Project Management
• Inventory Management Fundamentals
• Lean Manufacturing
• Leadership Through Influence
• Putting Your Best Foot Forward

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Mentoring

Participants will be matched with more experienced manufacturing and supply chain professionals - Mentors.  The Mentors will assist the Program participant by:

• acting as a sounding board for ideas and issues;
• monitoring progress and feedback;
• inviting the Mentee to learn from their own experiences, knowledge and skill;
• offering opinions and personal insight to support development;
• supporting the Mentees' development over the duration of the Program.

Matching will be undertaken by the Program Facilitator, who will also take into account the work experience, desired outcomes and sector-specific requests of participating companies.  Any conflict of interest will also be taken into consideration.

Mentees and Mentors will undergo formal training at the outset of the Program to gain a clear understanding of the mentoring relationship and to set achievable outcomes.

Mentors and Mentees will be required to meet at least once per month for one or two hours with the aim of addressing or resolving identified business issues.

Workshop sessions may be further amended/adjusted to take into account specific issues raised by participating companies during the course of the Program.

Mentee Participant Commitments

1. Benefit by taking guidance from more experienced manufacturing and supply chain professionals.  You should be actively seeking to accelerate your development as a supply chain professional.
2. Attend induction training to understand the role of a Mentee.  This will be scheduled for an afternoon in March and attendance is mandatory.  A formal graduation ceremony is held in November.
3. Meet with your Mentor at least once per month for 1-2 hours.
4. Attend a structured meeting for 2-3 hours once every month focussed on a particular manufacturing, supply chain or leadership issue.  This provides you with an opportunity to meet again with other manufacturing/supply chair professionals, your Mentor and to up-skill in key areas.  You should be available to attend at least six of the eight instructor-led sessions.

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Program Funding

This Program has been made possible through funding provided by the New South Wales Department of State and Regional Development.

Program participation is $3,000, plus GST, per company.  Eligible companies are, however, subsidised by the NSW Department of State and Regional Development and are required to pay a fee of $1,500, plus GST.  For this fee companies may enrol up to three participants in the Program.

Eligibility Criteria

All participating companies which will nominate Mentees must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Be a manufacturer in New South Wales.
• Employ more than one staff member (excluding the business owner).
• Have a turnover greater than $200,000 per annum.
• Must have a positive net worth.
• Must have current assets/current liabilities >.75.
• Nominated participants should be women owners and/or managers of small-to-medium manufacturers;  or women employed in production, manufacturing or supply chain roles within companies.

Mentors are not subject to the same eligibility criteria.  New Mentors with appropriate manufacturing and supply chain experience are always welcome.  Training and support for Mentors is facilitated by the Program Co-ordinator.

Mentors need to commit to:

• attendance at the initial induction session in March;
• a 1-2 hour session with your Mentee each month (at a mutually-acceptable venue).

Mentors are welcome to attend any of the training workshops and encouraged to attend the Program graduation.

About the Team Delivering the Program

This Program will be delivered by apics nsw.

apics (The Australasian Production and Inventory Control Society) facilitates the exchange and advancement of practical knowledge, ideas and techniques in the field of production, inventory and supply chain management.  apics is a non-profit organisation.