Two aspiring engineers will receive scholarships from Snowy Hydro to support their careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The company will fund two scholarships over three years, providing each recipient with $30,000. The initiative is part of Snowy Hydro’s collaboration with the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering’s (ATSE) Elevate program, which promotes STEM opportunities for women and non-binary individuals.
Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes emphasized the importance of gender diversity in the sector.
“Snowy Hydro believes supporting gender diversity in the sector is important to ensuring a strong talent pipeline of future energy leaders,” Barnes said. “The reason we joined forces with ATSE was to provide opportunities like this, to make a genuine difference in helping people who might otherwise experience barriers when pursuing a STEM career.
“We are proud to support these two ambitious and talented women from regional Australia as they develop their skills and pursue their academic journeys.”
The scholarship recipients are:
- Courtney Bulgarelli: From Mount Isa, Queensland, she will study Mechatronic Engineering at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba.
- Jessica Thomson: From Darwin, Northern Territory, she will pursue a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) at Monash University in Melbourne.
In addition to financial assistance, the scholarships will provide access to ATSE’s network, including mentoring, professional development workshops, and 24-hour psychosocial wellbeing support.
ATSE CEO Kylie Walker highlighted the significance of partnerships in fostering talent.
“Partnerships to boost and tap into the skills we need for such important infrastructure are absolutely key,” Walker said. “Snowy Hydro has a long history as a champion of supporting diversity in STEM and this is the next important step. We are so excited to see this come to life through our scholars.”
