Breaking the barriers – Women In Industry
Samantha McNaughton & Erica Cumming - Breaking the barriers – Women In Industry
Breaking the barriers – Women In Industry
How can we collectively attract, support and retain women in our industries to address the urgent skills and labour shortage and ensure future productivity and prosperity? Aspects of this presentation will cover:
1. Why do we need to attract women?
2. Showcasing the amazing women in our industries
3. What can employers do to attract more women?
Speaker Bio
Samantha McNaughton has been involved in the vocational education sector for more than a decade and has held various senior positions at Competenz, MITO and Skills International.
Prior to her current role, Samantha led the strategic industry engagement and learning design and innovation functions, including standard setting, quality assurance, resource development and programme innovation at Competenz. She is acutely aware of the workforce development challenges facing New Zealand and is particularly passionate about ensuring all people have clear and accessible educational pathways that support sustainable employment and prosperity.
Erica Cumming has enjoyed a longstanding career within the vocational education sector and is actively involved in promoting and supporting women in the trades, previously holding the role of Advocate for Women at BCITO | Te Pūkenga.
Erica has also previously held the role of CEO of the NZ Hair & Beauty Industry Training Organisation Inc (HITO) and governance roles on a range of boards, including WorldSkills New Zealand, and was Chair of the International Professionals Standard Network. Erica has re-engineered organisations, reshaped strategy, and strengthened governance functions. She is passionate about mentoring learners, employers, and staff to achieve their goals.