Login
Join CBCC

BRAVE
Return To Work

As part of the broader BRAVE project, BRAVE Return To Work was a volunteer-led Canterbury Bankstown Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) initiative designed to equip South-West and Western Sydney CALD women with the support, skills and opportunities needed to relaunch their careers from August 2023 to June 2025.

Created by Collappor8, supported by Women NSW and delivered in partnership with Western Sydney University and a network of corporate and organisational partners, the program connected participants with recognised credentials, resources, and a diverse community of employers, entrepreneurs, and mentors.

BRAVE Financial 
Literacy Program Report

The BRAVE Financial Literacy Program was designed by the CBCC and Western Sydney University to build real-world money skills and confidence in Canterbury-Bankstown’s diverse community. Developed through co-design workshops and focus groups, the Personal Finance Basics microcredential tackled the barriers women face around money, mindset, and financial know-how. The program covered key topics including budgeting, saving, employment, investing, superannuation, and protecting assets, all delivered in a practical, accessible way.
Survey results and participant feedback show the course increased confidence, self-awareness, and real financial capability—giving women clear tools to make informed decisions and plan for their future. The report also outlines lessons learned and recommendations for more accessible, face-to-face learning for the community going forward.
Read the full Financial Literacy Program Report, or access it anytime via Issuu.
Read More

Many challenges face people looking to return to work. Research from LinkedIn revealed that one in five hiring managers rejected candidates who had taken an extended period off work. For women, a recent NSW study revealed that 51% of women returning to work lacked confidence, preventing them from getting ahead in their careers after taking a career break.

Returning To Work Takes More Courage Than You’d Expect

Women who are from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds face even more difficulties. Over 50% of women in Canterbury-Bankstown are CALD. Many face language barriers or discrimination due to their race, ethnicity, or language proficiency. Moreover, for women who come from an ethnic background with strong historical, religious, cultural, or gender prejudices against women working, returning to work can become an extremely difficult task.
As a response, the CBCC will strive to create a supportive environment that fosters personal and professional growth and addresses the specific needs and aspirations of CALD women. BRAVE Return To Work will offer: micro-credentials, digital and financial literacy, and tailored mentorship and training to give wrap-around support to help more women gain confidence to reignite their careers and professional journeys.

Empowerment Through Education

Providing education opportunities to learn, hone, and refresh their skills is key to building confidence in women seeking to re-enter the workforce. For women who face additional challenges, such as language or cultural barriers for CALD women, short courses and micro-credentials are a wonderful opportunity for them to gain empowerment and self-improvement and increase their networks and opportunities.

The CBCC offers a Microcredential in Financial Literacy in partnership with Western Sydney University. The CBCC will also work with corporate and organisational partners to deliver workshops in relevant topics such as digital literacy and tackling sociocultural barriers to support women and increase their ability to successfully gain employment.

Additionally, the CBCC will develop program courses that will develop self-confidence and entrepreneurial skills for return to work women, with consideration to sociocultural factors for CALD women.
Learn More About Our Women’s Comittee

The Importance of Mentorship

Mentoring is believed by many female leaders to be one of the top strategies to help close gender gaps, such as the gender pay gap, in business and industry. For women returning to work, mentorship can be a powerful connector to help boost their comeback to the workforce.
More specifically, woman-to-woman mentorship can be one of the most powerful ways to support a woman re-entering the workforce. It provides tailored guidance and relatable support for the unique challenges that women face, such as navigating potential biases, maintaining work-life balance, and career growth. The mentorship often becomes a safe space for open dialogue, boosting confidence and self-esteem throughout the return to work process.
In Canterbury-Bankstown, these mentorships will build a strong network of women professionals for CALD women who wish to return to work, helping them to break through barriers for greater gender equality for current and future generations.

Creating Change Through Awareness

Beyond having the right skills or networks, many diverse women face shame, stigma, or embarrassment due to health or sociocultural factors that prevent them from returning to work, such as juggling family priorities, endometriosis or menopause, or facing biases against women who work.
Through advocacy, the CBCC will shine a spotlight on these issues to educate the Canterbury-Bankstown community and promote social change. We will encourage our society to re-evaluate preconceived notions about gender roles to reduce bias in our community. We will provide CALD women seeking to return to work with a platform where they can share their stories, building solidarity with other ambitious CALD women. We will share resources for local businesses and employers to properly support and accommodate return-to-work women.
By combining education, mentorship, and advocacy, the CBCC aims to empower diverse women to successfully navigate return to work challenges for a smoother, stronger transition back into the workforce.

Training Resources

How to Use Gmail to Support Your Job Application

Mona Chiha, founder of JurisTechne and OneMaronite Charity, walks us through how you can use Gmail to send your resume to prospective employers.
From setting up your own Gmail account, to creating your resume, to the process of sending off your resume and what to do after, Mona’s detailed step-by-step tutorial will boost your chances of success.

Watch Mona’s video here.

Create A Winning Resume

Need a little help in crafting your resume?
Mona Chiha, founder of JurisTechne and OneMaronite Charity, gives us a handy guide in how to create a winning resume. With a clear layout and easy-to-understand instructions, her guide is sure to help you land your next role.
To make your resume really stand out from the crowd, base your resume off Mona’s sample outline to ensure that your resume looks professional and modern.
All you have to do is copy her outline, fill in the blanks, and voila! Your resume is ready to be sent off to prospective employers. All the best with your job searching!

Click here for Mona’s Resume Tips

Click here for Mona’s Resume Outline

CBCC Women's Initiatives

The CBCC has been dedicated to advancing women’s interests since our establishment in 2016.
We have a Women’s Committee of dedicated local women leaders, entrepreneurs, and educators who volunteer to tackle issues facing women in business, and a policy task force of 9 women who volunteer to guide and inform the CBCC Board on how to better advocate for equality.
Our annual Women in Leadership event has aligned with International Women’s Day to celebrate the amazing achievements of women in Western Sydney, inviting local women leaders to share their experiences and advice on continuing to blaze a trail towards equality
The CBCC Board of Directors has been gender-balanced since 2022.
The CBCC’s BRAVE Project aims to begin a systematic and fundamental attitude change for women’s rights and interests in Canterbury-Bankstown and beyond.

Proudly Supported by

Support Our Initiative

By standing together, we join our voices in advocating for the most important and pressing issues to large stages like the various levels of government that we otherwise would not be able to achieve alone.

Join BRAVE Return To Work as a mentor or mentee, or attend one of our workshops.

Want to do more? Join the CBCC’s other initiatives by sponsoring our annual Women in Leadership event, joining the CBCC, participating in our Taskforce, or putting your name down as a potential speaker and advocate.

We are always open to hearing from you!

Join The Caterbury Bankstown Chamber of Commerce

The premier destination for business networking.
Join Now