GENERATION GENDER GAP: NEW RESEARCH SHOWS 50% OF AUSTRALIAN GIRLS BELIEVE THEIR GENDER STANDS IN THE WAY OF A MEANINGFUL CAREER

Media Release (11 December 2017): Research released today by Coca-Cola Australia and Beacon Foundation found almost half of teenage girls believe their gender could stand in the way of their career[i].

According to the research, female high-school students feel unprepared embarking on a career when they leave school. In fact, two-in-five don’t know if they can cope with the many challenges of having a career as a woman[ii], and one in five were concerned they would not be hired for a job that a boy could easily get[iii].

The MyRoad Careers Survey is an independent study of 1,000 women across Australia to understand the barriers young women face when planning their professional future, and inform Coca-Cola’s ambition – to economically enable five million women globally by 2020, known as the 5by20 program.

To expand Coca-Cola’s global 5by20 initiative to Australia, Coca-Cola Australia and Beacon Foundation partnered in 2016 to launch MyRoad – the country’s first online mentoring program that connects young women anywhere in the country with industry role-models across a variety of professional sectors. 

Since the program launched almost 2,000 students have received online mentoring sessions from 220 industry mentors from 100 companies.

Christine Black, Coca-Cola Australia’s Public Affairs Director and MyRoad mentor, spoke to the importance of the local program for the Company.

“Since its launch, Coca-Cola Australia together with our bottling partner Amatil, has provided over 60 mentors to the MyRoad program. We’re so proud to be able to contribute not only to the incredible program created in partnership with Beacon Foundation, but to the lives of young women who so deserve the best chance at success.”

“Support for gender equality is part of the fabric of our organisation – locally and globally. Our global commitment to economically enable 5 million women by 2020 is one example of how the business has prioritised the need to give women the tools for success. Our support for MyRoad not only helps us toward that goal, but also helps us reach those in more remote areas, who often need it most,” says Black.

While the benefits of career guidance and mentor support are clear, the MyRoad Careers Survey shows almost a third of young women in Australia don’t have access to such guidance or mentoring[iv] and more than half of those outside of capital cities said they will need to make their career choices alone^v, making them more susceptible to a life of unemployment, stress, anxiety and depression^vi.

Scott Harris, CEO of Beacon Foundation, says “Enabling all young women across Australia to have access and exposure to work-related learning and authentic interactions with industry role models means they are more likely to have confidence to build their own career path, regardless of their gender.”

The research also explored trends among successful working women, showing they were twice as likely to feel prepared for their career if they had a mentor in high school^vii. In fact, three-quarters of women in the workforce wish they had a mentor while in school^viii.

Meanwhile, almost all students who participated in MyRoad in 2017 claimed to have increased their resilience to deal with stress^ix and felt more work-ready^x thanks to the program.

“We’ve created a program that overcomes all those volunteer hurdles, such as taking time out of work, to ensure we’ve always got a mentor to share their story with the students and arm them for success when they leave school. MyRoad lifts aspirations and reassures young women that the world is in fact their oyster,” says Harris.

 

HOW TO JOIN

The MyRoad program pairs students with mentors via Zoom technology, meaning mentors don’t even need to leave their desks. The two-hour sessions are run within the classroom and contribute to the high-school curriculum.

Currently on a recruitment-drive for new mentors and schools, Harris and Black are encouraging Australians across all fields and locations to express their interest via the MyRoad website: https://ebeacon.net.au/myroad

 

ENDS

 

 

The MyRoad Careers Survey top statistics include:

·       1-in-3 young girls in Years 10-12 believe boys will have more career opportunities than they do^xi

·       Women with a mentor are twice as likely to feel prepared for their career^vii

·       Half of teenage girls believe their gender could stand in the way of their careerⁱ

·       Two-in-five women don’t know if they can cope with the many challenges of having a career as a womanⁱⁱ

·       One-in-five women are concerned with whether they would be hired for a job that a boy could easily getⁱⁱⁱ

·        Almost a third of young women in Australia don’t have access to a mentor^iv

·       Half of young women living outside of capital cities make their career choices alone^v

·       Schools in capital cities in NSW, QLD and WA are more likely to produce female students driven to pursue a career than schools in smaller or regional centres^xii

·       Three-quarters of women in the workforce wish they had a mentor while in school^viii.

NOTES TO THE EDITOR

 

About Coca-Cola Australia & 5by20

Globally, The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, Coca-Cola is the No. 1 provider of sparkling and still drinks.

 

We are committed to building sustainable communities. Our company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate.

 

At the heart of our community strategy is The Coca-Cola Australia Foundation. This philanthropic fund is a joint initiative between Coca-Cola Amatil and Coca-Cola Australia and in 2016 distributed $1.1million to communities in need. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colajourney.com.au.

In 2010, Coca-Cola developed its 5by20 initiative in recognition the challenges faced by women and their economic potential. 5by20 is The Coca-Cola Company’s global commitment to enable the economic empowerment of 5 million women globally by 2020. With beginnings in Brazil, India, the Philippines, and South Africa, TCCC’s 5by20 program has since reached 300,000 women across 12 countries, including Australia since 2016. http://www.coca-colacompany.com/5by20

About The Beacon Foundation

Beacon Foundation began its work in Tasmania in 1988 and has grown to become a national not-for-profit organisation. Beacon is working to create an Australia that understands, cares and is motivated to support young people to successfully transition from education to meaningful employment. We build connections between industry, secondary school education and the community to create real world education in schools that is relevant and engaging for young people in the 21^st Century.

www.beaconfoundation.com.au

About MyRoad

Many young women in Australia lack supportive networks to help them recognise their own potential and chance at a successful future. MyRoad is an online mentoring initiative launched in 2016 by Coca-Cola Australia and the Beacon Foundation, connecting young women across the country with representatives from diverse industries and occupations to offer guidance and help students transition into meaningful employment. Through videoconferencing sessions, the volunteer mentors guide a small group of female students in Years 10 to 12 through a two-hour, interactive work readiness program.

 

References

MyRoad Careers Survey: Gender Equality conducted by CoreData on behalf of Coca-Cola Australia and MyRoad.

In field for 10 days from 13.11.17 - 23.11.17.

Representative sample size: Australian females (N= 1,000) in-school (n = 500, 15-19 years) and out of school (n = 500, 18 years +).