The Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce and its advocacy group has published a guide to assist automotive businesses to employ more women.
The Women in Automotive group, established by the VACC 20 years ago, says increasing the diversity of automotive businesses leads to higher retention rates, better customer satisfaction, and increased profits.
The 44-page guide covers gender imbalance in the automotive industry, recruiting women with automotive qualifications and understanding the unconscious bias far too common in the industry.
The guide cites a survey conducted by Automotive News of 900 women which found cases such as the use of naming cars as “she”, substantial under-reporting of concerns by women, and the assigning of menial tasks by senior managers as warning signals to the male-dominated automotive industry to re-think their preconceptions about women in the car business.
The Australian Automotive Dealer Association is also helping promote the program run by Women and Leadership Australia which is sponsored by St. George and other sponsors, to develop full and partial scholarships for women working in the automotive sector.
The “Elevate” initiative is aimed exclusively at emerging and mid-level female leaders within the industry to take part in two leadership development programs, to increase the 15% of female employees within Australia’s automotive sector.
Just 8% of automotive industry executives are women, the AADA cites.
VACC’s Women in Automotive manager, Dr. Imogen Reid, says the free How to Attract Recruit and Retain Women in the Australian Automotive Industry guide should reveal plenty of advice for those in the position to change the gender imbalance.
“We hope this guide provides the impetus for more businesses to adopt a more gender inclusive strategy,” she says.
“Women in Automotive is thrilled to finally release this very practical, evidence-based guide, developed in response to industry demand,” Reid adds.
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