A new group has been established - the Women of AIRAH - to help promote diversity, representation and inclusion within the ranks of HVAC&R.
Established in late 2016 and now ratified by the board, the Women of AIRAH (WOA) group will work to develop strategies to support women and increase their participation in both AIRAH and the HVAC&R industry at large.
AIRAH CEO, Tony Gleeson, said it is of great importance that women within the industry are both acknowledged and supported.
“AIRAH understands that women are under-represented in HVAC&R, and we believe that the creation of WOA is an important step forward if this is to change," he said.
"It will not only provide women in the industry with a forum to voice issues of concern, but will also work to make HVAC&R an attractive prospect for those looking to take the next step in their career.”
The Women of AIRAH group will work with local AIRAH divisions to run events, networking sessions, mentoring, support and other initiatives.
AIRAH has now finalised the group’s state committee representatives, and has announced Ura Sarfejoo, as the inaugural WOA Chair.
Sarfejoo said it important for women to feel included.
"For the sake of the profession, engineering needs more women to get involved, so this AIRAH initiative is incredibly exciting," she said.
The Women of AIRAH state committee representatives are:
Nithiya Mohan, WOA Secretary (ACT division); Ura Sarfejoo, WOA Chair with Mikaila Ganado as Vice Chair (NSW division); Jessica Holz, (Queensland division); Jenny Smith, (Northern Territory chapter); Susan Tohu, (South Australia division); Victoria Totten, Camilla O’Leary, Cara Ryan, (Victoria division); Peta Blight, Ying Han, (Western Australia division).
Group sponsors are Delta Controls, GJ Walker, and Grosvenor Engineering Group.
Visit www.airah.org.au/WOA or email membership@airah.org.au