The Go Girls Foundation is a registered charity operating in the Melbourne area. The founders Rita Bottomley and Michelle Jobson began working with vulnerable women over ten years ago. Today the Foundation empowers women in local communities through its various programs: • women who are unemployed are supported to gain employment • women who have experienced domestic violence are transitioned towards independence • women who are recovering from breast cancer are assisted to find their 'new normal' • women in the workplace are encouraged to take on leadership roles • women in business are coached to grow The Go Girls Foundation’s vision is for every woman to have a plan. It is our mission to connect, honour and celebrate women. All the programs are underpinned by the values of compassion, acceptance and courage. Step Up and Go Program One of the programs is The Step Up and Go Program. This program assists women to become work ready. The women come from diverse backgrounds: women of all ages, women experiencing difficulty, women who are long term unemployed and women from migrant backgrounds. Throughout the course of each four-month program the women gain a stronger sense of self and take more control of their lives. They display increased levels of responsibility and take more directed and focused action. This invariably has a ripple effect on their significant others and whole families and communities can be influenced in a positive way. The program is different to other employment programs which tend to focus only on skill development. The Step Up and Go Program is a combination of employment skills and positive psychology. The focus on personal development enables the women to overcome obstacles that traditionally get in the way of successfully becoming employed. The Go Girls Foundation works with other agencies to ensure that the women are exposed to a diverse range of learning experiences. Some of these agencies include WIRE Information Services, Wear for Success, Career Moves and Talent Sourcing Partners. Through the inclusion of an Industry Links Program the women are connected in a significant way to their community and to the industries they are most interested in entering. Industry links are diverse and include City of Melbourne, University of Melbourne, Catherine Manuell Design, Hobsons Bay City Council, Australian Taxation Office, Australian Migrant Community Services, Portmans, Noni B, LMG Accountants, Metro, Robert Squillace and Associates, ANZ Bank and The Good Guys. The most significant outcome is that the women gain sustainable and productive employment. The success rate of women entering the workforce from each program is between 40% and 60%. Furthermore, many of the women have enrolled in courses which have improved their prospects and broadened their opportunities.