The AIS Accelerate program provides a unique experience for retired women athletes who are pursuing career options in the sport sector. The program, which is supported through the Office for Women, has a career and personal development focus and provides opportunities to acquire knowledge, skills and tools to navigate a professional career in sport.
The program will be tailored to meet the needs of the successful group applicants, ensuring that learning opportunities are directed to have the greatest impact. The program will be delivered through a mixture of in-person residential workshops, online learning and one-on-one career practitioner support.
The program will cover areas such as:
- debriefing the athletic experience
- personal values, purpose and strengths
- understanding the 2024 sport landscape and opportunities
- career transitions and expert career support
- developing a career action plan
- fast tracking career advice
- building professional networks
The key objectives of the Athlete Accelerate Program are to:
"The program was incredible at facilitating networking and social connections. Not only did I get to meet fellow retired athletes who share my passion for sports and career goals, but the program also introduced me to industry professionals and experts. It's been amazing to form a tight-knit crew with like-minded women and have access to invaluable advice, insights, and opportunities. They made sure everything was personalised just for us retired female athletes. It felt like they knew us inside out, matching our interests, skills, and background. It was like a custom-made program, designed especially for each of us. This program wasn't just about our careers. They actually cared about our personal growth too."
Samantha Hamilton, retired Australian baseballer and current assistant coach of the national women's team
Program dates
- Monday 15 January - Applications open
- Sunday 18 February - Applications close
- Wednesday 28 February - Applicants notified of outcome
- Tuesday 26 March 7pm - 8pm AEDT - Online session #1
- Tuesday 9 April 7pm - 8pm AEST - Online session #2
- Sunday 21 - Wednesday 24 April - In person residential program #1
- Tuesday 7 May 7pm - 8pm AEST - Online session #3
- Tuesday 14 May 7pm - 8pm AEST - Online session #4
- Tuesday 21 May 7pm - 8pm AEST - Online session #5
- Wednesday 5 - Friday 7 June - In person residential program #2
- Tuesday 18 June 7pm - 8pm AEST - Online session #6
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for the program, participants will need to be:
- A retired, former podium level (ready, potential or podium) categorised athlete and/or a national team representative of a recognised funded sport.
- A woman aged 18 years or over.
- An Australian citizen or have been granted permanent residence status.
- Available for all program dates.
Participants need to:
- Where possible, identify a sponsor currently employed within the sports sector to support the application. A sponsor is someone in a senior leadership role who can influence and advocate on behalf of the applicant.
- Not be an employee of Sport Australia or the Australian Institute of Sport when applying for the program with the exception of applicants engaged on a casual arrangement.
Contact
For further information please contact: accelerateprogram@ausport.gov.au