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Front Page
Ford a Preferred Employer for Women
Staff, Friday October 12, 2001.
Page 1 of 1
The agency announced its inaugural EOWA Business Achievement Awards yesterday in Sydney to recognize the champions of women in the workplace and to inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
Ford received double honours, firstly receiving a citation as one of Australia's top "Employers of Choice For Women" in recognition of the breadth of its initiatives in advancing women in the workplace. The citation was given to only 55 companies nationally with Ford as the only recipient from the vehicle manufacturing industry.
Secondly, Ford's Corporate Diversity Manager, Serenella Prelaz, was named Diversity Leader for the Advancement of Women. She received special mention for her achievements in "putting diversity on the business agenda at every level of the Ford organization, including the shop-floor, in representations to government, with trade unions and even across the wider community."
The awards were made following the rigorous filtering of more than 2,500 reports submitted to the EOWA this year to comply with the government's equal opportunity legislation. This legislation requires all companies with more than 100 employees to report on their equal opportunity programs.
Ford's Serenella Prelaz says the awards provide tremendous recognition for the many people across the company who have worked hard to put programs and policies in place to make Ford a best-in-class employer.
As examples of female friendly work initiatives at Ford, she lists flexible work options such as job sharing, telecommuting and flexible hours, encouraging female role models and company support of child care facilities. She also recently spearheaded a special work/life week throughout the company to encourage employees to develop a balance between their work and family lives.
Ford also funds scholarships to encourage young female school leavers to take up engineering studies and eventually a career in the automotive industry.
Prelaz has been particularly concerned to ensure that female friendly initiatives are available at all levels of the company from management to the shop-floor.
Since she joined Ford a year ago, Ford has re-negotiated its enterprise bargaining agreement. This now endorses a joint diversity council, which implements diversity initiatives such as a religious tolerance information program and a shop-floor women's committee, an equal opportunity action team and an employee work/life balance survey. There is also a deputy-shop-steward program for women who previously haven?t held leadership positions.
Prelaz says Ford has come a long way, doubling the number of female employees today compared with 10 years ago, but there is still much to be done.
"Many people probably still think of the automotive industry as being a man's world but this is changing. Awards such as these are great in showing that today's industry offers great career opportunities for women.
"It is encouraging to see the number of young women considering the automotive industry as a career. Out of an intake of 90 university graduates joining Ford this year, 40 are women.
"Importantly, the changes that we are seeing at Ford not only benefit women but all employees as our focus is on encouraging fulfillment in all areas of employees' lives not just their work. In turn, the company benefits by having happier, motivated people working at their full potential."
For further information contact:
Ford Australia Communications
Phone: 03-9359 8491
