Women aspiring to reach their potential in the tourism and hospitality sector are being offered a unique
mentoring program to assist them overcome the barriers faced in gaining the skills and experience
needed to enter leadership positions.
In 2021, the tourism industry in Western Australia created 78,400 jobs and contributed $7.2billion to the
State’s economy. Women in Tourism and Hospitality WA (WITH WA) – a group founded by ten women in
2019 to support and assist women in the tourism and hospitality industry – has identified this level of
growth will require a more diverse and experienced workforce.
Founding member and Deputy Chair Anneke Brown said female representation in leadership positions is
increasing across the workforce. However, women often face barriers to career advancement for a variety
of reasons, this is particularly noticeable in tourism and hospitality.
“We’ve launched our WITH Insights Mentor Circle program to support women who are aspiring to
transition from a mid-career position into leadership. We strongly believe having greater representation in
leadership will help to increase female participation in our sector over the longer term, assisting us to
meet workforce shortages in the future.”
“Women face particular challenges in their journey to reach leadership roles because their career
pathway is not straightforward. We see many women step away at the time they reach the mid-career
point or who take periods of time off as they attempt to balance career and family.”
“We believe that with strong networks and support more women will enter senior roles within our sector.
We have engaged a range of fabulous female leaders across our industry to support our first cohort of
mentees. WITH WA are excited to see the connections that will develop across the group and how this
program can have a sustained benefit for our industry,” Ms. Brown said.
The WITH WA Insights Mentor Circle will run for a period of six months commencing in February 2023.
The program will match mentees with an established female leader who can mentor, support, upskill, and
empower them on their career progression into leadership.
For more information on the WITH Insights Mentor Circle or to apply go to: https://www.withwa.com.au
