Awarded as the TechDiversity Award winner in the Education category at the 2019 TechDiversity Awards. girledworld has come a long way from Melbourne Business School Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Melbourne edtech startup to winning a TechDiversity Merit Award, and then winning the 2019 TechDiversity Awards Education Category.
The Program
girledworld is an edtech startup cofounded in 2016 at the University of Melbourne (Master of Entrepreneurship). Their Masters Thesis examined the problem of low STEM participation and high attrition rates of women in the current global workforce, and the role of STEM in the 21st Century economy. It examined the problem of low STEM participation and high attrition rates of women in the current global workforce, and the role of STEM in the 21st Century economy.
Girledworld was born from a desire to enable “girls to come up in the workforce”, but has since expanded its focus.
“It’s a whole generation who are needing that hand-hold, that mentorship, to help them transition into the new workforce,” Madeleine Grummet, Founder, Girledworld. Source: ABC
The Challenge
This research catalysed their mission to close the gender gap, build workforce diversity, increase capacity and skills in the next generation and engage federal / state governments, global technology companies and key education stakeholders to deliver high-outcome, 21st learning and career mentorship to 1000’s of teenage girls so they are equipped and empowered to fuel our future economy.
girledworld was the solution, founded to teach teenage girls 21st Century skillsets, business / leadership mindsets, and STEM toolkits they need to lead and succeed in the future of work.
The Reward
To date, they engaged 30,000+ students aged 15-25 from 200+ schools, universities and education institutions across Australia
The ongoing commitment to diversity
Today Girledworld continues to help students prepare for the workforce by exposing them to interactive education events, and giving students access to career mentors.
Their World of Work Summits – University of Melbourne 2017 / RMIT 2018 / University of Sydney / Victorian State Government Regional Innovation Summits Geelong 2019 – have enabled their total reach to industry, educators, parents and students to exceed 60,000, and in 2019 they scaled the impact with the beta launch of a global careers platform.