Suncorp was once again proud to support QUT’s Power in Engineering event, encouraging gender diversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) career paths.
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Year 8 and 9 students had the chance to chat with female tech professionals from Suncorp and learn about different careers available.
They also worked in teams to solve real problems facing our industry, like cyber security and making digital banking more accessible.
In teams, students had to create the minimal viable product of an app by applying design thinking, and then outline future releases.
Chief Information Officer Adam Bennett assessed the student presentations.
“I was impressed by how quickly they grasped the concept of human-centred design,” Mr Bennett said, “which is incredibly important, because the purpose of technology is to solve a problem for someone.”
He said diversity is crucial for the technology field.
“When developing tech solutions, the worst thing you can have is for everyone to think the same. You need the most diverse and creative team to hand – with different life experiences and ways of looking at things – to ensure you’ve considered the best range of solutions.
“So ensuring we have diversity in our future workforce is incredibly important to us.”
The program was undoubtedly one of my inspirations for pursuing such a maths-intensive finance degree at uni.
Chantal Duffy, finance and economics student
Suncorp has previously hosted many STEM programs and work experiences for students.
Chantal Duffy attended one of Suncorp’s STEM programs in 2018 as a school student, and said the program encouraged her to pursue an advanced finance and economics degree.
“The program was such a fantastic experience, and, as someone who loves maths, really opened my eyes to how finance and STEM can intertwine.
“It was wonderful to hear the stories of the empowering women who worked there.
“I'm now about to finish my first year of studying and I'm absolutely loving it. The program was undoubtedly one of my inspirations for pursuing such a maths-intensive finance degree at uni, and for that I really wanted to say thank you.”
