La Trobe is proud to support the WATTLE program and has seen immense value in our involvement through both the positive outcomes to the university and for the participants involved.
Why does the university support the WATTLE program?
La Trobe’s support for the program is underpinned 3 key motivations:
- Offering transformational opportunities for development and growth: The WATTLE Program offers a unique platform for women, gender diverse, non-binary and transgender staff with leadership aspirations to experience profound personal and professional growth and development. Participants have been empowered with the skills and mindsets needed for success in senior leadership roles through their involvement in this program.
- Gender Equity Advancement: La Trobe University’s support for WATTLE demonstrates our commitment to prioritising and improving the gap in gender equity at senior leadership roles across the University. By supporting WATTLE, the university is taking concrete steps to reduce this disparity and has experienced substantial success in this area through the program.
- Enhancing Engagement and Motivation: WATTLE not only equips participants with key leadership skills but also ignites their motivation, engagement and connection to the university. Previous participants have benefitted immensely from this program and continue to connect and contribute to the universities strategy on gender equity.
How is the WATTLE Program valuable to the university and its participants? What need does WATTLE address for leadership within the university?
The WATTLE Program delivers value to the university and its participants by:
- Building Connections: Through involvement in the program, participants have been able to establish invaluable relationships with fellow alumni internally and outside the university, leveraging others knowledge, experience, and strengths.
- Developing key skills for leadership: The WATTLE program equips participants with the essentials leadership skills, thought processes and mindsets necessary to go to the next level.
- Gender Equity Impact: The Program has had a substantial impact on gender equity within the university and has led to positive contributions towards a more balanced representation of gender diversity in senior leadership positions.
Feedback from the participants
Our feedback from the program has been overwhelmingly positive from both academic and professional cohorts. Key highlights for our previous participants included:
- The fantastic facilitation.
- The wonderful connections that were made and are continued to be used through the program.
- Didactic speakers offering plenty of feedback on key leadership areas/skills.
- The program being an immersive cultural experience.
Success stories of participants after attending the WATTLE program
The impact felt through our participants involvement through the program has been immense. We have been thrilled to see 66%, or 14 of our 21 staff since participating in 2018 being promoted into higher senior leadership positions, including the senior executive group of the university.
Our previous participants continue to connect with one another, as evidenced by the WATTLE alumnae symposium and plans to hold another WATTLE alumnae event next year, these initiatives are self-directed by the alumnae members themselves, further illustrating the continued significant impact felt by their involvement in the program.
