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Women into engineering should go

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wim, encouraging women to go into engineeringNew initiative aims to attract more women into the engineering industry.

The trade association for the UK’s glass industry is behind a new initiative to encourage the next generation of women to consider careers in engineering and manufacturing.

The Sheffield-based British Glass Manufacturers’ Confederation launched its Women in Manufacturing (WiM) initiative at the House of Commons recently.

Set up as a sub-project of British Glass’s training and skills development arm, The Glass Academy, and with the support of The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London, WiM is a not-for-profit initiative aiming to bring about a shift in the thinking of industry’s senior people.

The scheme seeks to attract women to engineering and manufacturing, and make sure they are supported and retained in the industry.

‘Ambassadors’, in the form of experienced industry professionals will volunteer their time to share their experiences with students in schools and in the workplace from primary level through to higher education.

That in turn will inspire students by providing role models and opening their eyes to industry opportunities, and improve gender diversity within organisations, increase the available talent pool and help to combat the UK’s growing skills shortage.

Dave Dalton, CEO at British Glass and The Glass Academy, said: “Modern manufacturing and engineering is a technologically advanced and innovative sector in which to work.

“However, young girls and women are not inspired to take up STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) related studying or careers.

“Initiatives like this are crucial in helping to dispel preconceived ideas about what jobs in engineering and manufacturing are in reality and to encourage the next generation of women to consider these sectors as career paths.”

In the UK, fewer than one in ten STEM managers are female and only 8.7 per cent of professional engineers are women.

The UK has the lowest proportion of female engineering professionals across the European Union states; the figures for Sweden and Bulgaria, for example, are 26 per cent and 29 per cent respectively.

The WiM launch event was attended by around 130 high-profile representatives from industry and government, along with educators and STEM organisations.

This included BT, Siemens, Atkins, TATA Steel, Thales, WISE, The Engineering Society, UCL and the University of Sheffield, as well as students from Notre Dame High School and All Saints High School in Sheffield.

Dalton told Packaging News: “Our industry is dominated by packaging firms, we have about 65 member companies. They have embraced this cultural change.

“We are trying to get the message across that engineering for women is a fantastic career opportunity, and that the engineering environment is clean, its safe, and its progressive.”

Nadja Swarovski, patron of women in manufacturing and member of Swarovski’s executive board, said: “Being a fifth generation member of a glass manufacturing family, I am passionate about engineering and technology, crafting and manufacturing and we need to empower, celebrate and entice more women into this sector.”

If you are interested in getting involved, click here.

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