In the world of professional development, sometimes unexpected moments make us rethink our decisions. Recently, as we wrapped up the final session of the 2023 Collaborative Learning Circle, something remarkable happened that made us reconsider our plans for the future. Amid budget constraints in the industry and across the APS (Australian Public Service), we initially thought 2023 would mark the end of our open program offerings. [...]

Jenny Morris challenges the assertion "That advice to women to ‘lean in’, be more confident… doesn’t help".  Would you tell a young girl or a young woman not to be confident? Not to believe in themselves? Not to try to be their best selves in whatever arena they choose to be in? I suspect your answer would be ‘no’. It seems to me that we are [...]

I often find it difficult to find the words to adequately explain the real power of our circles. This arrived in my inbox this morning, from a women in an Australian Government Department whose Mentoring Circle program has finished after 12 months. She describes her journey below. I hope it brings a smile to your face Testimonial from 'Liz, APS6, Canberra' The very first session I [...]

  After a truly wonderful 8 years working across the APS I am very sad to say goodbye to the Women in IT Coaching Circles.  Over this period I have had the privilege of experiencing, at a personal level, the quiet power that emerges when women support other women.  I’ve seen women blossom, I’ve seen their confidence grow, I've seen them gain skills and grow their networks …all through [...]

The Australian Government Coaching Circles program has now come to a close and we would like to thank everyone who has been involved. This highly successful program ran from 2012 to 2020. It coached and mentored 537 participants and provided much-needed networking opportunities and career support for women in digital. The program was designed and delivered by Orijen and is an excellent example of an effective and [...]