Uplifting women through Deadly Sista Girlz
“The Deadly Sista Girlz mentors helped us learn about our culture, and about the important roles women have in our culture.”
Building a brighter, diverse future
We're delighted to support the Deadly Sista Girlz. Over 1,000 WA students are part of the program to improve self-esteem and education in school-aged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls.
Deadly Sista Girlz (DSG) alumna Ellouise speaks very highly of the program which equipped her with the confidence and networks to pursue a career path with us. The Quality Assurance trainee is a valued employee at Water Corporation. Her DSG journey began back in primary school.
“I was in Year 7 at Gilmour Collage, Kwinana, when DSG came to our school. They never judged us and always supported me in making the right decisions for me.”
Deadly Sista Girlz forms part of the Waalitj Foundation.
Student attending the career fair
Why we’ve partnered with the program
Our suite of partnerships focus on building a sustainable water future by supporting our WA community. To do this, we need employees as diverse and dynamic as the communities we operate in. This partnership is a fantastic way to uplift women around the state. If we can assist with mentorship and career pathways, we help our state to thrive.
“The program helped me develop my confidence in speaking to people I didn’t know so well. This has helped me greatly in my current role where I need to talk to our contractors, investigate incidents, provide technical support, attend inspections and much more” Ellouise said.
Career paths for students across the state
To celebrate our partnership, we recently supported a Deadly Futures career fair. This saw us engage with over 70 female students from across the state. The intent was to connect program participants with job opportunities. We came equipped with passionate staff, an employment stall and hosted a Water in Aboriginal Culture education workshop. The session was run by our Aboriginal Engagement Officer.
Harley focused on how Noongar people sourced and managed water. He also explained the importance of Water Corporation learning from this ancient, sustainable culture.
Mentors and Water Corporation staff
We still have much to understand from Traditional Owners.
A representative from the Waalitj Foundation said: “We’ve seen participants really benefit from having trusted mentors present and available on school grounds.”
It’s time to give back
Ellouise is proud to be an alumna of an incredibly enriching program and values her career path to date.
“It feels good to know that I can help other girls in the Deadly Sista Girlz program have a great career, like me”.
She goes on to explain “Water Corporation supported me in a Cert IV in Work Health & Safety and have continuously backed me in completing the Cert. I really enjoy my role because it has given me the flexibility to do a variety of work, which are all relevant to my passion and studies in Work Health & Safety.”
To learn more about community partnerships, visit watercorporation.com.au/partnerships