Automotive industry announces new pathways for greater diversity

Former Australian rally champion Molly Taylor has recently announced a new media internship for the Girls on Track program, in partnership with the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) – the global motorsport authority.

The successful applicant will be chosen from women – aged 18-24 years old – involved in the not-for-profit initiative, which aims to increase female presence in the industry through various events and workshops catered to motorsport and automotive education.

The media internship is said to take place at MaD Garage – a motorsport-specific workshop co-owned by Ms Taylor and automotive journalist, Daniel Gardner – with Subaru Australia supporting the program.

According to Motorsport Australia, the candidate will join Ms Taylor through four rounds of the Australia Rally Championship, as well as creating various forms of content for “public relations and media activities”.

Additionally, they will also work on MaD Garage-specific projects and be involved in “key Subaru Australia events”.

“It’s a pretty exciting development on our side, being able to take the ambassador [role] for the Girls on Track program full circle,” Ms Taylor told Drive.

The internship will start in April, with registration available until 24 March 2024.

Additionally, Women in Automotive (WinA) offers female and non-binary applicants a pathway into the automotive industry through an 18-month program that allows participants to gain experience through a custom five-week work placement.

Candidates can choose to work across various sections of the industry, from mechanics and engineering to sales and repairs.

WinA has recently announced a change in leadership – diverting away from the ownership of the Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce (VACC) and into the stewardship of WinA owner/director Rachel Reed-Butler, motoring journalist Nadine Armstrong, and TV and motorsport presenter Kate Peck.

Ms Reed-Butler said the newly independent WinA plans to extend the organisation beyond a Victorian-based organisation.

“We’re going to accelerate everything: more networking, more educational events and seminars … so that Australia’s Automotive Industry becomes a beacon of inclusivity on a national scale,” Ms Reed-Butler said in a media statement.

Click here to find out more about the Girls on Track internship, or visit the Women in Automotive website by clicking here.