Change Our Game continues to support opportunities for women as sport and active recreation leaders

Victoria's 2024/25 Change Our Game Professional Development Scholarships Program, which supports more opportunities for women as leaders in the sport and active recreation sector,  has announced 111 recipients.

The Program aims to enhance their skillset through access to a range of professional development opportunities, placing them in the best position to obtain and thrive in leadership roles.

Since 2018, more than 600 professional development opportunities for women have been supported through Change Our Game programs.

Victorian Director of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation, Sarah Styles noted the importance of having women in leadership positions within sport “by increasing the representation of women in leadership roles, not only does the sector benefit from their incredible skill and insight, we are also creating a more inclusive sporting environment that fosters innovation and growth.”

This year the program provided six streams including two new categories – Women with a Disability and Community Leaders. The streams cater for women in different stages of their careers across community and elite sport from those early in their career, to returning from parental leave, executives, new or aspiring board members and community leaders.

The six streams are:

• Learning

• Next Generation Leaders

• Women with a Disability

• Executive

• Governance

• Community Leaders

Recipients will get access to professional development opportunities ranging from governance training, executive coaches, to courses to build specialist skills and confidence to advance their careers in sport and recreation.

Head of Player Relations at Professional Footballers Australia, Erin Clout is just one of the 111 recipients selected, and will undertake the Foundations of Directorship course delivered by the Australian Institute of Company Directors as part of the Governance Stream of the Program.

The program will support to build her governance knowledge and capability and advance her aspirations to become a board director in the sport and recreation sector.

Victorian Minister for Community Sport Ros Spence added "this program is not only supporting women to advance their careers in sport, it's helping us work towards gender equity in the sport sector."

"We are shaping the future of sport for generations to come - we're getting more women into leadership roles which will deliver better experiences for girls now and into the future."

For more information on the program, visit changeourgame.vic.gov.au.