Technical camp for young women, RAAF Base Williamtown

Fifteen people attended the Technical Camp for Young Women at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Williamtown between 27-30 August.

Participants experienced engineering and technical roles first hand, and the day-to-day routine of an Air Force base. Participants also met with Air Force members and Defence Force Recruiting specialists to discuss career opportunities

Technical Camp Officer in Charge, Flight Lieutenant Esther Suh, said Air Force was strongly committed to enhancing a more diverse and inclusive work environment, and recognised that diversity was key to capability.

“To be the strongest possible organisation, Air Force needs to be able to recruit from the entire talent pool in the Australian community, both women and men,” Flight Lieutenant Suh said.

Two Newcastle students, Hannah Newham, 17, and Lucy Goodman, 16, were among the participants.

“I liked a lot of the more hands-on activities, such as the flight simulator,” Hannah said.

Lucy said Air Force was appealing because of the diverse range of opportunities it offered.

She enjoyed working in the classrooms solving technical problems.

Flight and technical camps for young women have been running since 2013 and have produced positive results with 80 per cent of participants actively pursuing Australian Defence Force careers through Defence Force Recruiting.

Due to the success of those camps, Air Force delivered the inaugural Aviation Camp for Women in July this year at RAAF Base Amberley, in Queensland.

Technical Camp Second Officer in Charge, Flight Sergeant Michelle Snape, said Air Force camps for women were incredibly rewarding for both participants and the personnel who delivered them.

“In addition to the education and training components of the camps, the camps provide a mentoring opportunity with participants engaging with inspiring Air Force personnel,” Flight Sergeant Snape said.

To find out more please visit the Air Force website.