sheCommerce Program 2022

In 2022, the FBE Recruitment team launched the sheCommerce project to develop a four-year program of activities for Years 9-12 students who identify as women (both cis-women and trans women students are encouraged to apply) to improve appetite among this group for the Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne, resulting in an increase in applications, offers and enrolments by this group.

The key components of the program will be the delivery of two camps annually. The first camp was delivered at University College on the Parkville campus during the July school holidays (6-8 July 2022) to introduce 38 students from Year 9 to commerce as a discipline, foster their curiosity and encourage them to consider tertiary study in commerce (this camp had an ‘imagine’ focus).

Applications for the sheCommerce Year 9 camp were open to all Victorian students who identify as women, including a list of 101 target schools comprising of key feeders and aspirational schools (concentrated in the northern and western suburbs of Melbourne).

A second camp will be delivered for 30-40 students from Year 11 in December 2022 (this camp will have a ‘discover/evaluate’ focus).

A VIP Business Lounge was offered to key Year 12 students at Open Day to extend to engagement with the VCE audience. The Lounge was staffed by recruitment staff and current Bachelor of Commerce student mentors offering bespoke course and student experience advice.

The program will grow with the cohort over four years. The 2023 iteration will have 4 cohorts, at each level of Year 9-12. It will introduce the same initial group of Year 9 students (progressed to Year 10) to a work experience component, and Year 11 students will enter a mentoring program with current female students studying their second year in the Bachelor of Commerce. This relationship will continue when they are in Year 12/final year of the Bachelor of Commerce respectively.

The first-round camp (Year 9) received 235 applications for 40 places. All unsuccessful applicants will be included in invitation lists for future events. The selected cohort represented 25 different schools, with 70% from key feeder schools, 24% from aspirational schools and 6% non-targeted. The participants all grew in confidence over the course of the Year 9 camp and ended the experience as strong UniMelb ambassadors with a budding or confirmed interest in Commerce.