Applications open for 2022 Growing Leaders Scholarship

CBH Group, in partnership with Grower Group Alliance (GGA) and Leadership WA, is pleased to announce the 2022 Growing Leaders Scholarship opens for applications May 1, 2021.

Two scholarships valued at $15,500 are available for up to two successful applicants to take part in Leadership WA’s 10-month Signature Leadership program. CBH Chief External Relations Officer Brianna Peake said the scholarship program is part of the co-operative’s commitment to fostering leadership capacity within our regional communities.

“Having a pipeline of strong leaders is so important for our industry, communities and CBH,” Ms Peake said. “We have so many capable and talented people in our industry and CBH is very proud to support them on their leadership journey and help grow their capacity to give back to their community.”

Program participants will be given an insight into current and future issues affecting WA while building on their leadership skills including self-awareness, accountability, reflection, resilience and collaboration within and between industries. GGA Chief Executive Officer and scholarship Alumni Niki Curtis, said the Growing Leaders Scholarship program was an opportunity to impact WA’s grain sector at a grassroots level.

“In regional WA, we have many wonderful and passionate leaders in our communities and sometimes we take on our roles without having any training and we just give things a go based on gut instinct,” Ms Curtis said. “I recommend the program to anyone considering leadership skills development, especially in regional areas that are often under-resourced and rely on communities to drive and implement change.”

Leadership WA Chief Executive Officer Dominique Mecoy said the Signature Leadership Program was a unique and outstanding leadership development experience. "With the enormous challenges faced by Australia and the world over the last 18 months, there's never been a more important time for people to learn how to think differently about their organisations and themselves.

By being part of Signature, our participants are developing resilient leadership skills which will steer WA well into the future” Ms Mecoy said. The Signature Leadership Program brings together participants from across industries and sectors and will expand the pool of growers ready to take on leadership positions within the industry and even at CBH.

This will be the fifth cohort of the scholarship program and is open to anyone involved in a grain growing enterprise in WA, who has demonstrated grower group and community involvement. Eight past alumni of the scholarship include Niki Curtis of Esperance, Jasmyn Allen from Yuna and Rebekah Burges of Meckering (2018), Julia Alvaro from Nokanning and Tracey Lefroy from Bindi Bindi (2019), Bronwyn Fox of Dandaragan and Debbie Gillam from Dongara (2020), and Lucy Hall (Arthur River) is the current 2021 scholar currently undertaking the program.

Applications close on 31 July 2021 for the 2022 Signature Leadership Program. More information and applications at the Grower Group Alliance webpage.