STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 09 PRIORITY 2 / INDUSTRY VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES FOR THE RECRUITMENT & RETENTION OF WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ROLES The 2015 Report of The Inquiry into Women and Girls in Sport and Active Recreation (WISAR) made nine recommendations for workplaces to consider, increasing leadership and participation by women and girls in sport. Vicsport was commissioned by the State Government to draft the strategy and process to give effect to Recommendation Four: Recruitment practices and processes for leadership positions through the creation of guidelines for the recruitment and retention of women in leadership roles. Vicsport developed guidelines through consultation with SSA CEOs and an expert panel of Vicsport, SRV, HR Advice Online and Sportspeople representatives to develop this resource. Two examples of the recommendations set out in the guidelines are:   When recruiting, employers need to think about different ways to identify candidates, such as tapping into women’s networks and social media to hire women and develop the potential female candidates.   Invest in training for CEOs and senior executives about the need for creating a diverse workplace when recruiting female talent. The guidelines are available through the Change Our Game website – www.changeourgame.vic.gov.au. TRANSITION TO MANDATORY BOARD QUOTAS On 1 July 2019, SSAs and RSAs eligible for State Government funding are required to have 40% women on their boards. Vicsport has been working closely with its members to have a deeper understanding of the incoming quotas. This included hosting the Transition to Mandatory Board Quotas Industry Forum on 28 March 2017 and provided a platform for members to participate in a Q&A to build their knowledge of how to prepare for the incoming quotas. Vicsport has compiled a suite of online resources involving case studies and information sheets available on its website and continue to provide ongoing support for its members about the incoming quotas. FORWARD THINKING SERIES The successful 2015-16 Forward Thinking Series delivered by Vicsport and supported by VicHealth, continued in 2016- 17. Four workshops were held to give sport administrators an opportunity to learn innovative methods on how to boost participation and adopt new thought processes to sporting trends. Held at Life Saving Victoria’s function facility, outcomes of the series were:   Problem solving through re-thinking new partnerships and collaborations   Imbedding strategies that support innovation in sporting organisations.  Improving methods of identifying innovative solutions. VICSPORT PROFESSIONALS NETWORK (VPN) Launched in November 2014, the Vicsport Professionals Network has continued to grow in numbers and provide valuable professional development and networking opportunities for Victorian sport administrators. Categories include students, industry professionals, senior industry professionals and board directors holding various roles in Victorian sport organisations. VPN Members events in 2016-17 were: VPN STUDENT EVENT Standing Out from the Crowd was an event hosted by La Trobe University on 10 August 2016 designed to encourage students to rethink their approach to job applications and become more proactive and motivated when applying for a position. Over 60 students attended the event which featured a panel of industry professionals sharing their secrets of success. Ros Holding, Global Recruitment Consultant from Sportspeople, focused on the job application process, Bron Madigan, Managing Director of Dynamix Sport Projects, spoke about the value of networking and building industry contacts and Matthew Kennedy, CEO of Tennis Victoria, discussed the key attributes he looks for when recruiting staff. . VPN BOARD AND STAFF INDUCTION PROGRAM With the support of Sport and Recreation Victoria, Vicsport developed a program for directors and senior managers to increase their knowledge about the ‘who’s who’ in sport, and which organisations are the drivers of policy and planning for the sports industry. With two sessions each year, the first session was held on 24 May 2017 with 21 attendees and included an address from Project Officer at Sport and Recreation Victoria. Ben O’Brien provided an overview of the State Government’s community and facilities programs, Vicsport Participation Strategy Manager Tom Dixon gave an insight into the industry drivers and how to increase participation at club level, and Vicsport Sport Consultant Fiona Jones focused on how clubs can prepare to meet the mandatory board quotas and Child Safe Standards.  71 INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS 45  SENIOR INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS 11 BOARD DIRECTORS 10 STUDENT