Across Australia, the gender gap in certain professions remains stubbornly wide.
Women represent around 15 per cent of active surgeons, just three per cent of construction workers, and less than 20 per cent of CEOs in our top companies; with only 9 per cent in CEO positions among ASX-listed companies.
These figures aren’t simply statistics, they’re reflections of deep seated cultural patterns, stereotypes and, sadly, missed opportunities. The reality is that in many industries, women are still the exception, not the norm.
We cannot be what we cannot see, and that truth cuts to the heart of the challenge. If girls grow up rarely seeing women in certain roles, those careers start to feel abstract, even unattainable. Without visible role models, dreams can shrink before they have had a chance to form. Representation isn’t just a matter of fairness; it’s a psychological bridge between aspiration and action. When young women can see others who look like them leading, creating, or excelling in a space, it plants the seed that they can too.
The power of real world experience
Schools are safe spaces for students to experiment, explore, and grow. But they are also artificial environments, carefully curated and far removed from the realities of the professional world. While the lessons learned in the classroom are vital, they cannot replicate the transformative power of real world experience.
When we give young people opportunities to step outside school walls and into professional environments, something remarkable happens. Not only do they learn about a field, but they see the potential of what they can achieve in themselves. They begin to understand what’s possible, make informed decisions about their futures, and often discover a spark of curiosity that fuels their ambition for years to come.
There’s another, often overlooked, benefit: when professionals in those industries see students contributing and engaging, they start to view them as capable, valuable members of their community, not just ‘kids.’ For girls in particular, that sense of being taken seriously can be life changing and have a significant impact on their outlook on life and place in the world.
This is especially true in male dominated industries, where young women rarely see themselves reflected in leadership or technical roles. CEOs, surgeons, engineers, financiers, and construction managers are still overwhelmingly male. Breaking that cycle starts with showing girls they belong in these spaces; and with adults having the ability to recognise their potential at the early stages of a student’s career journey.
In my years as an educator, I’ve seen that girls are often more impacted than boys by external validation. It’s not enough for their teachers to believe in them, they need to feel valued and respected by the world beyond the school gates. When they receive that recognition in real world contexts, the change in their confidence, ambition, and self perception can be profound.
The benefits flow both ways. For workplaces, inviting secondary students into their world is an opportunity to connect with the workforce of the future. This is an important opportunity to understand this generation better. What engages them? What curiosities do they have? What insights and fresh perspectives did they reveal? In an age when companies are eager to understand Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the smartest move is to engage with them early – and become the employer of choice for tomorrow’s best talent.
Taking action through collaboration
This is exactly why Toorak College is committed to creating learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom. We see our students as competent and capable. And when this is mirrored by the external world, they feel it; and that changes everything.
Our recent partnership with the International Medical Robotics Academy (IMRA) is a powerful example of how this approach can shift the future for girls in traditionally male-dominated careers. Together, we have launched the first surgical robotics curriculum in Australia – a groundbreaking step toward giving students, especially young women, the tools, confidence, and exposure to thrive in medicine and medical technology.
Held in Melbourne at the only facility of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, the IMRA MedTech Futures – Secondary School Curriculum Package offers an immersive, hands-on experience. Students aren’t just watching from the sidelines, they are operating surgical robotics, exploring the latest advancements in synthetic organs, and engaging with industry experts who treat them as future peers.
To date, 21 students have currently taken part in the pilot-program. The growth, confidence and sheer joy has been palpable. We need more opportunities for young women in these male dominated fields, and it starts with education.
With women making up only 15 per cent of surgeons in Australia, this kind of opportunity matters. It matters because it demystifies complex, highly technical careers. Because it builds both the skills required to pursue those pathways. And, arguably the most important point, it gives young women a sense of belonging and belief in a space where they are statistically unlikely to end up.
Visibility
One of the most powerful outcomes I believe in a program of this kind is its visibility.
Imagine if every young person in Australia had the chance to work alongside professionals in their chosen field before leaving school. Imagine the industries we could transform if young women were welcomed into boardrooms, laboratories, design studios, and construction sites during their formative years.
This isn’t just about equality for equality’s sake. It’s about building stronger industries, filled with diverse talent that reflects the communities they serve. Breaking down systemic change requires just that, change itself. It’s about unlocking the potential of half the population to solve the problems of the future. By doing this, we are building the foundations that our daughters, and our sons, grow up believing that capability has no gender.
At Toorak College, we know that real world learning is the bridge between education and aspiration. But we also know that schools cannot do this work alone. We need industries to open their doors, share their expertise, and trust young people, especially young women, to contribute in meaningful ways.
This is where ideologies and beliefs can be changed, both for current and future generations.
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