sheCommerce: Faculty of Business and Economics hosts Year 11 students for ‘three-day jam-packed camp’

Approximately 40 Year 11 students from across Victoria joined the Faculty of Business and Economics in Melbourne for the latest iteration of the sheCommerce camp.

Held over three days during school holidays and the University’s mid-year break, the students stayed at the Parkville campus for three days of workshops, lectures and fun activities.

Established in 2022, the sheCommerce program is designed to inspire and encourage the next generation of young people who identify as women (cisgender or transgender) or non-binary to explore commerce as a career path.

"sheCommerce empowers young women and non-binary students by providing them with the skills, knowledge, and networks to become future leaders in business,” said sheCommerce Program Manager Louis Cuthbert.

“This unique program fosters a supportive community where students can connect with like-minded peers and mentors, gaining invaluable insights from experienced academics and industry professionals.”

Dr Andrew Clarke and Dr May Li, both Senior Lecturers in Economics, and Dr Miriam Edwards, Educational Designer with the Williams Centre for Learning Advancement, provided a comprehensive overview of diversity and inclusion initiatives in the Faculty and the commitment to ensuring every student feels valued and respected.

Group of people posing and smiling sheCommerce participant Nimeesha Visen loved the program and has made memories and new friends.

“The experience that will stay with me in my journey of completing high school and thinking about university. The program is the perfect opportunity to explore the world of commerce and meet like-minded individuals, while also having loads of fun.”

Bachelor of Commerce students shared their insights and positive shared experience of diversity and inclusion within FBE, with sheCommerce participants able to ask questions and learn about the student experience at the University of Melbourne.

Dr Teagan Altschwager, a lecturer in marketing, was thrilled to be invited to run a session on marketing as a concept and a career. She discussed how gender bias continues to impact the marketing industry - particularly in how we see gender roles portrayed in advertising.

“My own experience as a young girl from a small regional town enrolling into a commerce degree was a daunting one plagued with self-doubt. So, I was really pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the kind of program that I wish was offered to me in high school,” she said.

Woman reads from notebook to lecture hall of peers “Programs like sheCommerce are crucial in driving interest and participation of young women towards commerce programs like marketing. Through greater gender diversity—in our marketing classrooms and all the way to boardrooms—we can drive positive change towards inclusive representations of gender portrayed in the ad campaigns we see and the goods and services we buy.”

Dr Michelle Escobar, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Economics, led a workshop in the program where students learnt about how economists have a meaningful impact on society.

“In my workshop, they learn that there is more to economics than what they see on their TV screens and in the news. They walk away with the knowledge that economists can change the world for good and that our work has real-world applications,” she said.

She believes introducing the field of economics to female-identifying and non-binary students as early as possible is essential to increasing representation in economics.

“In the sheCommerce bootcamp, we start as early as Year 9 so that students can start seeing themselves as future economists and acquiring the necessary skills to succeed in the field,” she said.

Participant Ho Wing Li described the camp as “incredibly immersive”.

“It provided us with an opportunity to gain insight into the field of commerce through workshops, lectures and trivia through a jam-packed, three-day camp," said Ho.

Applications for the 2025 cohort will open soon, offering another group of passionate students the opportunity to make a lasting impact in their fields.

All photo credit to Marie-Luise Skibbe, 2024.

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