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Saab Australia has partnered with Paradigm Shift Sports to provide employment opportunities and network development for female athletes.
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The opportunities will be delivered through scholarships and paid employment with global defence contractor Saab and is set to include scholarships to support program participants to gain hands-on work experience in Europe.
Undergraduate and graduate participants will also be provided the opportunity to get relevant experience in their fields of study, providing an employment pipeline.
Andy Keough, managing director of Saab Australia, explained that the partnership mirrors the company’s core values of trust, expertise and drive – and will also allow Saab’s Australian workforce to leverage and learn from the values of the athletes.
“Through this partnership we’ll be able to create job pathways for women while they’re studying and competing, but also create opportunities for Saab employees to learn from people who have competed at the highest levels in elite sport.”
While the transition from elite sport to the professional world can be challenging, Annette Edmondson, founder of PSS and former track cycling world champion, explained that the partnership will enable athletes to prepare for their next steps while still competing.
“The transition from elite sport to a successful new career can be challenging for many people so it’s fantastic to be introducing young athletes to future opportunities while they’re still competing at the highest level,” Edmondson said.
“Providing young cyclists with direct links into a high-performing business like Saab will be enormously beneficial to the athletes and the business.”
Already, the company has begun delivering pathways. Including Alex Martin-Wallace who has a paid internship with Saab’s Future Naval Systems and Autonomy team.
“Working at Saab has provided me with invaluable experience that has not only supported my sporting aspirations but has also allowed me to broaden my understanding of the engineering field,” Martin-Wallace outlined.
“The financial support has allowed me to feel secure, which is a position that can be hard to come by as a female athlete. The level of flexibility that Saab has given me allows me to intertwine my work, training and racing so that I can get the best out of myself in all areas. Their belief in me to work hard has fuelled me to get the most out of myself and make the most of the opportunity.
“The work I have been able to do as part of the growing Autonomous Systems Group has been incredibly interesting to me, and it has been exciting to have a look into new projects.
“The experience has given me the confidence to know that I can apply the skills I have to contribute to engineering and society and has given me the certainty that I want to make engineering a long-term career.”
