The Best of the WEST

Go West
The Best of the WEST Award nominations are open

Moranbah local, Rebecca Kerr, is urging women from across the state to enter the 2011 Best of the WEST Awards.

The USQ Engineering and Business student says her 2009 Award provided the motivation she needed to pursue a career in mining.

The daughter of a miner, Rebecca knew she wanted to work in the male-dominated sector while completing a school-based traineeship in surveying.

“I remember when I said I wanted to do engineering and a lot of my friends at school laughed at me because it wasn’t what the girls do, but winning the award made me realise that there is a lot of opportunities for women in mining.

“There wasn’t support for women in mining previously, but it is growing because they want diversity in the industry - they realise that everyone brings something different.”

Rebecca says receipt of the Award also provided valuable contacts.

“When I moved to Toowoomba I knew no one. I was moving 1,000 km from home and it was the women that I met through the Awards that gave me support and connections. They were really supportive and were there if I needed anything.”

GOWEST member, Petrea Redmond, says the Awards are open to women and girls in Engineering, Science (including Maths) and Technology (SET) located in regional, rural and remote areas of Queensland, as well as USQ female staff and students.

“The awards give women in these fields public recognition for the work they are doing and also shows women and girls there are many fulfilling career choices in these areas.

“There was a great response to these awards from the community last year and we are looking forward to another terrific event in 2011.”
The award categories for 2011 are:

Go WEST Primary School Award
Go WEST Secondary School Award
Go WEST USQ Student Award – Engineering and Surveying
Go WEST USQ Student Award - Sciences
Go WEST USQ Student Award – Mathematics
Go WEST USQ Student Award - Technology
Go WEST USQ Student Award - Community Involvement
Go WEST Professional/Business Award – Engineering and Surveying
Go WEST Professional/Business Award - Technology
Go WEST Professional/Business Award - Innovation in Digital Futures
Go WEST Professional/Business Award - Access & Equity
Go WEST Professional/Business Award – Research
Go WEST Professional/Business Award - Vice-Chancellor’s Community Project
Go WEST USQ Indigenous Award
Go WEST Research Award

Nominations close on Friday 9 September. This year’s award ceremony will be held on Thursday 13 October 2011 at 3:30pm.

Contact Details:
Connie-Louise Rego, USQ Media, +61 7 4631 2977
19/07/2011