international women in engineering day (inwed ......bab_2758_women_in_stem.indd 1 18/06/2015 12:37 a...

Babcock International is the largest and most dynamic engineering support services business in the UK. We always call on the skills of the brightest people from the widest possible pool of talent. It’s the reason for our success.

If you’re smart, ambitious and bursting with potential, there’s no limit to how much you can achieve at Babcock.

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WATCH ONLINE: Stemettes girl hack Ireland

INSIDE Women in STEM roundtable discussion P8

INFOGRAPHIC: Statistics on the amount of women working in STEM P6

Women in STEM

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"I can use my knowledge of science and technology to

make a difference to society”- STEM ambassador

Ranna Patel

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The Academy works closely with employers and professional institutions to increase diversity across the engineering profession.The Academy also collaborates with partner organisations to deliver activity and research that supplements and challenges existing approaches on diversity.

See more at www.raeng.org.uk/policy/diversity-in-engineering

Why don’t more young people study maths and science with ent-husiasm and strive

for a STEM career? The main reason appears to be that there isn’t a clear understanding of what the jobs actual-ly are – and if you can’t imagine it then how can you imagine yourself doing it? If you ask a teenager to describe professions such as doctor, lawyer or vet they can answer confidently and correctly – ask them to tell you what a professional engineer does and they may well describe the mechanic that mends their family car. Girls in parti-cular are put off by out-dated stereo-types of what they perceive to be ma-le dominated job roles and workplaces where they wouldn’t fit in.

There are two simple things indu-stry can do to combat this tendency for girls to close the door before STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) careers have even been consi-dered: raise the profile of female ro-le models who are thriving in their

careers to help girls and their parents to envisage aspirational futures and open your doors so that girls can see what the job looks like in situ.

WISE Young Women’s Board Mem-ber Hannah Goodall is a senior engi-neer with Network Rail and loves her job. She says “do things that you en-joy doing, not just what you’re good at or what skills you need for a certain job. Figure out the activities and tasks which get you motivated, passiona-te and engaged. People don’t realise that being an engineer is incredibly creative. I now understand how the skills which are unique to me con-tribute to how Britain’s rail network operates successfully.”

And a note to parents, careers advi-sors and teachers: The skills shortage in the UK STEM workforce is daunting: 200,000 jobs a year to fill as an ageing workforce retires. A stark reality, but it represents a huge opportunity to encourage young people to pursue re-warding, creative careers in a growing sector that offers higher than average

A more compelling message for women and girls We need to be better at teaching our children maths and science. It’s not socially acceptable to say ‘I can’t read very well’ so why is it OK to say ‘I’m rubbish at maths’?

Sarah Shaw`WISE Communications Director

“Do things that you enjoy doing, not just what you’re good at or what skills you need for a certain job.”

READ MORE ON WOMENINSTEM.CO.UK

Civil engineering The Institution of Civil Engineering discuss the many elements that contribute to a career in this field P4

Female scientistsLooking for a career in science? Winners of L’Oreal’s Women in Science Award speak on the available optionsP10

Women in techThe Makers Academy provide their top 5 tips for women looking to enter into the technology industry and start a career in coding

salaries and a vast array of fascinating job options. Why wouldn’t you want that for your child?

Careers in STEM are not just for tho-se wanting to take an academic route via a University degree either. With the arrival of ‘tech-level’ qualifications and university technical colleges there are many entry routes – from apprentice-ships at 16 and higher apprenticeships as well as graduate programmes and re-training options for those looking to change direction.

Professor Averil Macdonald, a WI-SE Board Member recently awarded an OBE for services to women in sci-ence and author of a ground breaking report published by WISE in Novem-ber 2014 commented: “The revolutio-nary insight in the ‘Not For People Like Me?’ report is set to be a game changer that addresses all the issues and con-cerns described in every article and re-port on the subject to date. By enabling girls and their parents to see how they fit into the huge range of jobs where people like them are happy and

successful is the most inspiring way to open up the opportunities to the girls. Simply pointing out that ‘Your country needs you’ and that very few others have been convinced so far, has clearly failed - obviously because it’s just horribly off-putting.”

We at WISE asked ourselves the question: what will it take? And the answer, based on our analysis of the ONS labour force survey, is one mil-lion more women in the UK STEM workforce. This figure would mean we reach a critical mass of 30 per cent women, up from the current 13 per cent, at which point a gen-der balance would be achieved that would affect an overall cultural shift in the sector.

Change will not happen over-night, but by finding a different and more effective way to inspire the next generation we can all make a difference and hopefully the need to normalise women in STEM will be-come redundant. Could you or your daughter be one in that million?

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IN THIS ISSUE

The long term strength of the UK research base depends on harnessing all the available talent and attracting the best researchers from a diverse population to take up research careers.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is committed to promoting equality and diversity in all its activities, as an investor in research and doctoral training and as an employer.

EPSRC works with the Royal Society to fund Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships aimed at early career researchers who require a flexible working pattern and the Daphne Jackson Trust to support return researchers to their careers after a break of 2 or more years.

The Council analyses and publishes high level data on diversity and plans to

update this annually. It will monitor this to identify any specific areas of concern for future action.EPSRC has set a target of at least 30% female membership of its Council and Strategic Advisory Network and Teams by 2020, the end of its next Delivery Plan.

EPSRC is working with partners to identify the most effective actions to bring about long term change to develop a diverse research base in engineering and physical sciences.

Data can be found on the Research Councils UK website www.rcuk.ac.uk

WHO WILLYOU NOMINATE?

2014 WISE Awards winners

#WISEAwards2015

T his year, WISE has added two new award

categories to further celebrate those individuals and organisations that are leading the way for women in STEM. Nominations are now open and we encourage you to nominate yourselves, a colleague or your business or enterprise to be considered for recognition.

For full details of each of the awards categories and how you can make your nominations, go to:

www.wisecampaign.org.uk and click on the 2015 WISE Awards logo.

Awards Categories

To be kept informed of nomination deadlines and application details, sign up to our newsletter at: www.wisecampaign.org.uk/newsletter

NEW Bloomberg Open Technology Award

Sponsored by Bloomberg

WISE Girl AwardSponsored by Intel

WISE Apprentice AwardSponsored by Rolls-Royce

WISE Inspiring Young People Award

Sponsored by Atkins

WISE Hero AwardSponsored by Babcock

WISE Research AwardSponsored by Thales

WISE Campaign AwardSponsored by Network Rail

WISE Influence AwardSponsored by The Royal Academy

of Engineering

NEW WISE Tech Start-up Award

Sponsored by Goldman Sachs

WISE Employer AwardSponsored by AWE

WISE Health & Safety Award

Sponsored by AMEC Foster Wheeler

WISE Lifetime Achievement AwardSponsored by Winton Capital

WHO WILLYOU NOMINATE?

2014 WISE Awards winners

#WISEAwards2015

T his year, WISE has added two new award

categories to further celebrate those individuals and organisations that are leading the way for women in STEM. Nominations are now open and we encourage you to nominate yourselves, a colleague or your business or enterprise to be considered for recognition.

For full details of each of the awards categories and how you can make your nominations, go to:

www.wisecampaign.org.uk and click on the 2015 WISE Awards logo.

Awards Categories

To be kept informed of nomination deadlines and application details, sign up to our newsletter at: www.wisecampaign.org.uk/newsletter

NEW Bloomberg Open Technology Award

Sponsored by Bloomberg

WISE Girl AwardSponsored by Intel

WISE Apprentice AwardSponsored by Rolls-Royce

WISE Inspiring Young People Award

Sponsored by Atkins

WISE Hero AwardSponsored by Babcock

WISE Research AwardSponsored by Thales

WISE Campaign AwardSponsored by Network Rail

WISE Influence AwardSponsored by The Royal Academy

of Engineering

NEW WISE Tech Start-up Award

Sponsored by Goldman Sachs

WISE Employer AwardSponsored by AWE

WISE Health & Safety Award

Sponsored by AMEC Foster Wheeler

WISE Lifetime Achievement AwardSponsored by Winton Capital

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Be heard. Be valued. Be your best self.We believe that creating a fully diverse and inclusive workplace makes us a stronger company, and that our impact on people’s lives around the world is a direct result of our diverse employees. Take your career to the next level. You bring the brilliance. We provide the opportunities for you to shine.

“Intel is committed to attracting, promoting and retaining women. We have a variety of women networks and development opportunities focused on advancing your career and supporting your success.”

RENEE JAMESIntel Corporation President

Check out Intel.com/jobs

Become a civil engineer

and help to shape the world in which we live

Read more at

womeninstem.co.uk

“If we want to inspire the next genera-tion to get into STEM we must intro-duce them to breadth of STEM careers early on - and maintain that initiati-ve,” says Kirsten Bodley, chief execu-tive of the Science, Technology, Engi-neering and Mathematics Network (STEMNET).

Presenting a positive image of STEM careers to secondary school students is not enough, she says. ”Perceptions about careers are formed earlier so leaving it until age 13 or 14 is too late. We need to start in primary schools,” says Bodley, a former development chemist who has also been a primary

school teacher.The Aspires research project by

King’s College London found that most children in years six to nine liked school science but most 14 to 19 year olds did not aspire to science careers and thought STEM qualifications led only to careers as scientists, doctors or in science teaching.

Worse, there is a perception that STEM careers are only for boys, which influences girls’ career decisions. ”As well as reaching girls we must reach boys. They must also understand that it is OK for girls to go into STEM,” she adds.

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To find out moreice.org.com

INSPIRATION

Civil engineers design and construct some of the world’s most jaw dropping structures from the Sydney Opera House through to the

Olympic Velodrome and China’s Jiaozhou Bay Bridge. At 26.4 miles long, it’s the length of a marathon. But civil engineering isn’t just about building iconic structures. It’s also about designing, crea-ting and maintaining the infrastructure around us that we depend on every day; our roads, railways, bridges and waste facilities, our energy and water supply and our flood defences. Civil engineers keep this infrastructure running and adapt it to meet major challenges such as population growth, the effects of climate change and disasters like floods and earthquakes. Put simply, they have to innovate and come up with solutions to complex problems - they literally shape the world in which we live. There are many different specialisms within civil engineering and many different ways to enter the profession - not all require a degree. Contact the Institution of Civil Engineers to find out

more – visit ice.org.uk or email [email protected]

COLUMN

“Girls are under-represented in innovation and invention. In our culture the stereotype innova-tor is a boy, but how many gre-at inventions are we missing because girls’ ideas are over-looked?” says Anne-Marie Imafi-don, founder of the Stemettes pro-ject to get more young women into STEM.

She cites two girls who invented smart toothbrush that tracks users’ brushing technique on a mobile phone. At just 13, they are speaking to companies about developing the idea.

Now Stemettes has a new pro-ject to help young women from the UK, Ireland and EU to launch innovative STEM businesses: the Outbox Incubator, which will en-courage young women to think ‘out of the box’ and incubate their business ideas.

It will offer seed funding, men-torship and support to girls 22 and under with innovative busi-ness and technology ideas. The incubator will run over the 2015 summer holidays, initially in London. Each week will take 45

girls, 15 of whom will live in the ‘Outbox house’.

“All the girls’ travel expenses (even from abroad), accommoda-tion and food will be free,” says Imafidon, who is passionate about getting girls into STEM. She herself got maths and ICT GCSEs aged ten, and a degree in maths and com-

puter science at 20 and was na-med Young IT Professional of the Year 2013.

The Outbox Incubator involves three weeks of germination where girls learn about themselves as en-trepreneurs, the mechanics of run-ning a business and idea genera-tion. The girls will also develop and practise business pitches ready for ‘Demo Day’ when they will pitch to business angels and mentors who

will pledge money, time and support.The girls will then work on re-

fining their business models, prototyping, and building traction before taking their businesses live.

Girls who want to take part must apply before 28 May. Stemettes is also seeking role models (parti-cularly women) from STEM to share their experience with the girls, plus companies and angels willing to put seed money into girls’ projects, and post- programme mentors.

“Girls and influencers such as pa-rents must understand all the rou-tes into STEM including business startups,” says Imafidon. “STEM organisations are helping through education to show that STEM sub-jects increase job prospects and pay. Better wage transparency would show that the gender pay gap is smaller in STEM than in many other industries.”

“Girls and influencers such as parents must understand all the routes into STEM including business start-ups”

Getting into STEM is not just about finding jobs. A newinitiative will help girl inventors develop new product ideas into businesses - and the help comes freeBy Linda Whitney

Inspiring the next generation

For more information on our school leaver,undergraduate and graduate programmesplease visit www.accenture.com/ukgrads

PHOTO: THE CIVIL INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERING


INSPIRATION

COLUMN

WOMEN IN STEM

6% of the engineering workforce

in the UK is female

5.5% of engineering professionals

are female and only

27% of engineering and science

technicians are female

Nearly half (46%) of all co-ed secondary state

schools sent no girls on to do physics at A level

in 2011

Females accounted for 4.3% (1,140) of

completed Engineering and Manufacturing apprenticeships in

2010/2011

GRAPHIC: FREEPIX.COM

“If we want to inspire the next generation to get into STEM we must introduce them to breadth of STEM careers early on - and main-tain that initiative,” says Kirsten Bodley, chief executive of the Science, Technology, Engine-ering and Mathematics Network (STEMNET).

Presenting a positive image of STEM careers to secondary school students is not enough, she says. “Perceptions about careers are for-med earlier so leaving it until age 13 or 14 is too late. We need to start in primary schools,” says Bodley, a former development chemist who has also been a primary school teacher.

The Aspires research project by King’s Col-lege London found that most children in years six to nine liked school science but most 14 to 19 year olds did not aspire to science ca-reers and thought STEM qualifications led only to careers as scientists, doctors or in science teaching.

Worse, there is a perception that STEM ca-reers are only for boys, which influences girls’

career decisions. “As well as reaching girls we must reach boys. They must also understand that it is OK for girls to go into STEM,” she adds.

One of the major challenges is the public perception of STEM careers. It’s not all about oily rags and spanners, or working in labs or on building sites.

“The greatest influencers of daughters’ career decisions are parents but they are hard to reach so we address children th-rough schools and teachers, the second most important influencers,” she says.

STEMNET tackles these problems with three national programmes.

It has over 30,000 STEM Ambassadors, who talk to secondary school students about their careers and demonstrate through practical work the reality of a life in STEM. ”Over 60 per cent of them are under 35 and 40 per cent are women so they are realistic role models for young people,” says Bodley.

STEMNET’s STEM Clubs Programme offers schools free, impartial, expert advice and sup-port to set up or develop a STEM Club where children can experience the fun of science with exam pressure.

Its Schools STEM Advisory Network (SSAN) delivers free advice, business links and part-nerships to enhance the STEM curriculum. The advice, tailored to school or college needs, helps them access services, resources, activi-ties, toolkits and advice, to support the curri-culum and increase the number of students moving into further STEM education.

Increasing the number of women in STEM is not just a task for today. If numbers are to rise, we must inspire future generations of women to get into the sector

Getting more women into STEM careers must start in primary schools

By Linda Whitney

“There is a perception that STEM careers are only for boys, which influences girls’ career decisions”

SOURCE: WES

PHOTO: STEMETTES

PHOTO: STEMETTES HQ

Sue Partridge has clocked up 25 years as an eng-ineer and never had any intention of beco-ming one of the estimated 22,000 qualified wo-

men who fail to reappear in the sector after a career or maternity break.

This worrying statistic reveals a valuable resource which will need to be tapped into as the skills gap grows.

Inspired by an uncle and with high marks in maths and science at school Sue wanted to be an engineer from a very young age. Her parent’s encouragement meant she achie-ved her dream.

Her career was progressing well when her daughter was born in 2004. She returned part-time until her son arrived in 2008. She came back part time again before resuming a full-time role when her youngest went to school.

She now leads a multi-national team at Airbus as Programme Manager A330neo Wing Development. What makes her position quite unusual is that her immediate boss is also a woman.

“At my level within the organisation women make up about 9 per cent of the workforce and the percentage gets higher the further you go down the organisation. Airbus is

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Sue now mentors other women within Airbus and urges them to have discussions with their bosses before they be-gin maternity leave.

“Don’t be scared to open the dialogue because that is what I did. Have a chat about how you want to return but accept that things might change once you have the baby.”

Sue’s mind was always set on returning to the job she lo-ves but she accepts that women have different needs and motivations when it comes to continuing their enginee-ring career.

“My partner and I bring up our children as a partnership so if one of us cannot make a school event the other one will try to. So far I have never missed a parents’ evening because I try to plan my diary in advance.

“You have to find the right balance for you. How much time you want to spend at work is very personal. Women keen to come back into engineering just need a positive at-titude to make it work for them rather than think about ‘barriers’ to returning.”

Sue Partridge Programme Manager A330 neo

Wing Development

trying to increase the number of women returning to the company in senior positions.”

Sue believes that women who do make it into senior ro-les are incredibly motivated simply because they have had to work hard to succeed in their chosen career.

“You do need a flexible and supportive employer that supports women during their maternity leave, if they choose to come back part time and then if they want to go full-time again,” she says. “Ultimately it is about allowing flexible working so you can juggle work and family life.”

She believes more women would return to engineering if other employers were as adaptable.

“As your children grow up your needs and circums-tances change so you can alter your work life,” she says. “Flexibility needs to work both ways. An employer should understand that there might be times when you need to go to your child’s school, but in return you accept there could be some unsociable bu-siness travel or a meeting late in the day. We all know what engineering is like and it has to be gi-ve and take. Employees who have a good work/life balance tend to be more effective.”

Flexible working is key to women’s return at airbus

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Why engineering is a woman’s work

Virginia Blackburn: Why is it important to change the stereotype of female engineers?

Stephanie Fernades: There is an acute problem with women engineers. 7 per cent of the industry is female and that has been the case for the last 20 years. We need to fulfill the skills shortages by tapping into the skills gap, but negative perceptions start at a very young age. The overriding perception among girls is that it’s messy and dirty and they don’t want to get involved.

Aimi Elias: Another problem is that women choose STEM sub-jects but they don’t pursue them after they leave school. We need to understand the causes for that and persuade schools to understand and explore different kinds of careers, while dealing with the pro-blem of the perception of ‘women in hard hats’ by getting compa-nies to promote different visual images.

Chloe Agg: There is a massive societal misunderstanding of what an engineer actually is. People don’t understand the range of care-ers on offer. What we need are more spokespeople and role models to go to schools and talk to people.

VB: How can these changes be instituted?

SF: Children should be told these careers can be creative, varied and make a difference.

CA: Yes. For example, if girls were told that a career in engineering could involve making vaccines that hospitals need they might find it much more appealing.

SF: Media and television also have a role to play in promoting eng-ineering. If they have families in engineering they know about it but otherwise they only hear about it elsewhere. It needs to be aspirational.

CA: CSI’s massive popularity led to a surge in people becoming forensic scientists, which we don’t actually need. We need a CSI for engineering.

VB: What is the importance of role models and whatinitiatives are being put in place to encourage women?

AE: People don’t realize that there are so many levels at which you can enter a career in engineering. If we had more ambassadors they would learn more and they would also be more aware of apprenticeships.

SF: At IET we have established the Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards which recognizes young women who have established them-selves as an energetic and technically excellent professional in the eng-ineering or IT sectors. And we need flexibility. We work in a digital age – people can work more from home as well as participating in meetings.

AE: Another issue is structured career breaks and parental leave, lea-ving the path open for employees to come back. London Underground is one of the few employers who have kept their word about this: quite a few of the female engineers take career breaks. This year Transport for London is celebrating 100 years of women working in the field.

CA: And at Cundall, we offer flexible working practices, which me-ans that 14 per cent of our employees are women. Both men and wo-men don’t need to work a 10-hour day. There is a perception that people should but we should change that.

SF: It is also important to have women in senior positions because oth-erwise the impression is they are just not as good.

CA: I am in the process of writing a book aimed at four to seven year olds, which will talk about different types of careers. It’s important we start that young because they must make the right subject choices when they are 15 to 18.

A group of leading women in engineering met to discuss the issues surrounding women working in the field. They were Chloe Agg, senior engineer at Cundall, Aimi Elias, project engineer, Crossrail Liverpool Street for ICE and Stephanie Fernades, principal policy advisor at IET. The moderator was Virginia Blackburn.

www.baesystems.com/careersThe Times top 50 employer for women 2015

AN INSPIREDGENERATION. As part of our annual £80M investment in skills, we're working hard to encourage

more young women to choose a career in engineering. As award winning apprentices Rachael, Charlotte, Jenny and Micha have shown, joining BAE Systems can give your career a �ying start.

PANEL OF EXPERTS

Stephanie Fernades Principal policy advisor for

education & skills, IET

Aimi Elias Project engineer at London

Underground, ICE

Chloe Agg

Senior engineer Cundalls


AE: They think technical can’t be creative but actually it’s a marriage of the two.

VB: What is the government doing?

SF: They have started to realize that there’s a problem. They have ini-tiated the Perkins Review of Engineering Skills to examine the issues, although this is not just a matter for government – industry must take some responsibility too.

AE: They are beginning to realize it’s dangerous to exclude girls, but to avoid a backlash from men, it’s important to fine tune the way of ap-proaching these issues to resonate with women. Ofsted needs to beco-me more involved with monitoring the ways schools provide careers advice and make sure more choices are available.

VB: And should schools be doing more?

CA: To a certain degree the education system has lost its way. Where they should be helping young people to become good humans and ma-ke their own way in the world, instead it has become focused on teach-ing students to pass exams to the exclusion of anything else. We need them to talk more about engineering and offer STEM advice, but many are saying they don’t have time.

SF: Parents and teachers are the biggest influences on the children and their choices. And it would be an excellent idea for teachers to go out into the field themselves and get some industrial experience.

CA: Above all else, schools should realize that there are STEM ambas-sadors who can come out to talk to them. Only then will we begin to see a real change.

Apply for the IET Young Woman Engineer 2015 and gain the recognition you deserve.

Inspire

Inform

Inf luence

There are three awards:n Young woman Engineer of the Yearn Mary George Memorial Prize for Apprenticesn Woman Engineering Society (WES) Prize

To find out more or apply online:

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Entry deadline 26 June 2015

PHOTO: MEDIAPLANET


“Young women and girls need to see women in science and see what they are doing”

Seeing successful female scientists acknowledged and supported for the work they do can help to persuade more girls and young women of the obvious career opportunities available

She adds: “After women have had their career break I would like to invite them into the department of chemistry at Ox-ford so that they can access the latest re-search in up-to-date journals. They can also get advice on their CV and presenta-tions skills. More generally I would like to help boost their confidence by bring-ing them back into a vibrant and sup-portive environment.”

A 2014 L’Oreal-UNESCO winner is Dr Eva Maria Greafe, a Royal Society Uni-versity research fellow in the mat-hematical physics group at Imperial College London.

She admits she has had to change her view on the industry because when she began her career she did not feel

women should receive special attention in the science community.

“I grew up believing that men and wo-men are equal and that feminism in the modern world was as necessary as an um-brella in the sunshine. I was offended when a first noticed a conference dedicated to female physicists,” she says. “But I soon started to realise the inequality that exists in science and how it was crucial that wo-men who are doing well and carrying out great work were visible.”

Greafe adds: “Young women and girls need to see women in science and see what they are doing. We can al-so be role models for men who will re-alise they can also get a better balance between family and work life.”

The women already suc-ceeding in science need to be visible and act as effective role models if others are to follow in their footsteps or return

to the industry.Senior female scientists say ini-

tiatives that recognise women’s re-search and also help to fund their care-ers are crucial to ensure greater fema-le participation in a range of sectors across STEM.

Programmes and award schemes such as the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Wo-men in Science programme are already ensuring that women’s achievements and potential in science are noticed and supported.

Dr Seirian Sumner is a senior lectu-rer of behavioural biology at Universi-ty of Bristol. She won a L’Oreal-UNES-CO fellowship in the first year of the awards in 2007 and launched Soapbox Science which engages the public with STEM topics using female scientists.

“Every woman in science is a role model. The undergraduates in my de-partment are role models for girls at school and my female PhD students

are role models for the undergradua-tes,” she says. “It is inspiring to see wo-men at the top in science because it shows others what is achievable.”

Dr Sumner says the Fellowship has helped her build her own profile and spread the message publicly about science being a great career choice for women.

Another role model is Professor Dame Carol Robinson, a Royal Society Research Professor at the University of Oxford. She won the European Laurea-te L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women In Sci-ence award in 2015.

She says there were too few female scientists when she was growing up and that young women need to be em-powered so they feel confident enough to embark on a science career.

Robinson also wants women who ta-ke a career break to bring up their child-ren to have the conviction to return to science. “I took an eight-year career break, which was considered a very long time but I don’t regret it,” she says. “But I started to think, what am I going to do now? I wanted to return to science but had lost a lot of confidence.”

All female scientists are role models, say the award winners

By Steve Hemsley

NEWS

Over 17 years ago, L’Oréal and UNESCO founded the For Women in Science programme to promote greater participation of women in science

Science needs women

Throughout the world, women are at the heart of major scientific advances.That’s why, each year, the UK & Ireland For Women In Science programme recognises the achievements of exceptional female scientists and awards them with fellowships to help further their research.

The fellowship can be spent in any number of ways to enable them to further their careers and facilitate world class research, such as purchasing equipment, travel or child care.

Over 2000 women from over 110 countries have been recognised by the global programme and received funding to further their research.

womeninscience.co.uk

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PHOTO: L’OREAL

30 “Not for people like me?” Under-represented groups in science, technology and engineering

WomeninSTEM:thechangesfrom2012to2014

46.3%

= 13.6 million

Women up 8.2%

Men up 9%to 427,000

46.5%

= 14.2 million

• Total women in the STEM workforce.

• Percentage increase in those choosing STEM occupations.

• Percentage increase in engineering professionals.

BUT women make up only 5.7% of this sector.

2012 2014

+4.3% = a 579,957 increase

Men up

6.95%

Women up

104%to 26,000

Men

Women


SOURCE: WISE


How STEM employers can benefit from encouraging women returners

The STEM sectors need expe-rienced professionals yet six in ten women returners fa-ce barriers in getting back to work. Flexible work and retur-ners’ schemes will help.

Maternity breaks for women in STEM are an opportunity rather than a problem.

So says Dawn Bonfield, materials engine-ers and president of the Women’s Enginee-ring Society (WES), one of the organisations whose research has shown that 60 per cent of women returners to STEM careers faced barriers to doing so.

“Over 90 per cent of those surveyed had got back to work, but there must be thousands who did not,” says Bonfield. “The cost of lost training and experience if a woman fails to return has been estimated at £200,000 each,

so both women and employers lose out.”Lost women result in fewer at the top of

STEM professions. “Studies show that or-ganisations perform better with diversity at the top,” says Bonfield. “Employers must stop thinking negatively about maternity leave and see it as a positive opportunity.”

Simple but effective ways of helping wo-men build a bridge back to full time work in-clude flexible working, which 14 per cent of women in the survey said would help.

More companies could follow the lead of Thames Tideway Tunnel, which is construc-ting a 25KM sewer tunnel in London. It intro-duced paid 12-week professional internships (now closed) for professionals returning to the workforce after two or more years. They were given assignments, coaching support and an internal mentor.

Engineering consultancy Atkins offers a returners course including help with adjus-ting to being a working parent and creating return plans such as departmental updates, handover plans and support networks.

Women on maternity leave could main-

tain their skills by undertaking projects for employers or could fill in any knowledge gaps to become chartered engineers, better equipping them to move up the ladder on re-turn from a career break.

“Women on maternity leave who have ol-der children could be STEM advocates among other parents, who are the major influence on a child’s career choice,” says Bonfield. “They could go into schools as STEM advo-cates or help access funding for equipment such as 3D printers to boost science teaching.”

Professional bodies in the STEM sec-tor could also help career break returners. “Benevolent funds usually used for retired members could be extended to help qualified women re-enter the STEM professions, and the body would gain new members,” says Bonfield. “These women are a valuable asset.”

By Linda Whitney

INSPIRATION

Read more at

womeninstem.co.uk

“Employers must stop thinking negatively about maternity leave and see it as a positive opportunity.”

Career breaks for women in STEM: an opportunity, not a problem

PHOTO: SHEFFIELD HIGH SCHOOL/WISE

31“Not for people like me?” Under-represented groups in science, technology and engineering

Women down 15%to 40,000

Men up

400%to 723,000

• Percentage increase in those taking up ICT occupations.

• Percentage change in those in ICT delivery occupations.

• Percentage fall in the number of female technicians.

AND women make up only 15% of this sector.

In 2012 women made up 25% of this sector but in 2014 the level has fallen to just 5%.

Women up 3.5%to 125,000

Down by 7% to 242,000

Men up

7%to 723,000

Women

Men

2012

2014

2012 2014


SOURCE: WISE

A SUPPLEMENT BY MEDIAPLANET DISTRIBUTED WITHIN THE INDEPENDENT14 WOMENINSTEM.CO.UK

“We all need to work together to help women re-train and work more flexibly”

Women do not have to say goodbye to a great career in scientific research after a lengthy break from work. Support is available to help them re-train and boost their confidence.

to move into management and leader-ship roles within their university.

“Many areas of science move so quick-ly that women can feel they are not up to date with what is happening. They need support and help with training and other important elements of their life, such as getting their family used to mum working again,” says Perry.

The training available includes help to improve professional skills such as assistance with CV-writing and job app-lications. There is also advice on presen-tation skills and help with media and PR skills so a woman can raise her own profile in the research industry.

Dr Perry says women can feel that their skills are rusty and that they won’t be able to find a suitable role if or when they do decide to return to work.

“Sometimes the right decision is to mo-ve into a new area of expertise. One wo-man switched from zoology to human ge-netics because it opened up far more opp-ortunities for a future career in research.”

She admits that many women are una-ware that support programmes exist to help them return to science roles after a lengthy career break.

The Trust is supporting National Wo-men in Engineering Day and has had its funding increased this year by Research Councils UK. This will help to boost awa-reness of its work.

The charity is currently promoting sponsored fellowships at the University of Sussex (in maths and physical sciences, and in engineering and informatics), and at Durham University in a partnership with Pharmacy Research UK.

Traditional barriers are still holding back fema-le scientists who want to return to STEM re-search roles after a lengthy career break.

Women are playing an increa-singly important part in scienti-fic research but many universi-ty departments still have a very male-dominated culture.

There are also limited part-time opportunities for women with child-ren or responsibility for caring for el-derly or sick relatives. The lack of con-fidence many women feel after being away from work for a long time can al-so discourage them from applying for jobs that match their talents.

The Daphne Jackson Trust, based in the department of physics at the Uni-versity of Surrey, offers fellowships to STEM professionals looking to return to research after a break of more than two years.

Chief executive Dr Katie Perry says everyone in the science com-munity must take some responsibi-lity for why these barriers still exist. “We all need to work together to help

women re-train and work more flexi-bly so they can combine working and having a family,” she says.

Dr Perry adds that one of the main issues is making jobs attractive to those with caring responsibilities. This means looking at ways to im-prove flexible working in the lab and around home working so women re-main productive but also have a good work/life balance.

“Many of our Fellows are women who have taken a break to bring up young children or have suffered long term illness, so the issues of work-life balance are foremost in their minds. Their success makes them an inspira-tion to others.”

The Trust, which has helped more than 280 individuals return to their careers, offers fellowships to men too, although 92% of the awards go to female scientists. They receive a com-bination of mentoring, retraining and research projects.

Mentoring by academics or scienti-fic leaders creates female role models within STEM research to inspire wo-men and boost their confidence. Wo-men also see there are opportunities

No obstacles should block women’s return to scientific research

By Steve Hemsley

INSIGHT

www.daphnejackson.org | 01483 689166 | [email protected]

@DaphneJacksonTR Find us on

out more about opportunities in your area

Dedicated to realising the potential of scientists andengineers returning to research following a career break

PHOTO: DAPHNE JACKSON TRUST


The Open University (OU) provides a wide va-riety of distance-learning opportunities for women who want to enter, or progress, in the STEM sectors, from informal learning through to postgraduate level qualifications.

At the OU, students are able to study at their own pa-ce, juggling their study alongside their busy lives — and access their learning materials wherever they are. This flexible and distance learning model is underpinned by academic excellence supported by exceptional staff and world-class teaching materials, developed by leading aca-demics and industry experts.

Since its foundation, the OU - the largest academic in-stitution in the UK, has been committed to diversity, equality and advancing the careers of women in the STEM sector. In fact, it has the largest number of part-time wo-men students in STEM subject areas. “The OU offers a gre-at learning experience to individuals who want to become students in the STEM sector,” says Dr Clem Herman, seni-or lecturer in computing and communications at the OU, and director of eSTEeM, The Open University Centre for STEM Pedagogy.

“First of all there are the possibilities that flexible, part-time learning affords, which are invaluable. As OU lear-ning is distance learning, much of it is completed online but it is supported learning with regular local tutorials both online and face to face.

“We also run summer schools which give students the chance to engage with practical sessions that fit in with their study plans and private lives. For women, this is an ideal way to learn if they have family commitments which prevent them studying at university full time, or taking part in a full time course.”

The OU also leads in the use of technology in the

teaching of STEM subjects, and is equipped with hi-tech facilities for distance learning within the STEM subject areas. “For instance, our Open Science Laboratory and Open STEM Labs allow students to carry out experiments remotely,” says Dr Herman. “This means they can gain hands-on experience over the internet from their compu-ters or tablet devices, without having to go into the lab.”

RETURN TO STEM

A high proportion (over 75 per cent) of OU students are ma-ture students who are in employment. For STEM students, then, working towards a qualification is a way to improve and enhance their careers, even if they are already wor-king in a STEM sector. But while the STEM sectors need experienced, qualified professionals, research shows that six in 10 women face barriers in getting back to work in STEM-related roles after a career break or maternity lea-ve. This is why the OU has been at the forefront of a num-ber of ground-breaking initiatives for women who want to kickstart their STEM careers.

The OU’s Return to SET (Science, Engineering, Tech-nology) courses, for example, have empowered over 1000 women to develop strategies to help them get their STEM careers back on track As one participant said: “I have re-cently accepted a job working as a software engineer. The Open University course was a crucial part in my journey towards getting started in commercial work again. It was so important in building up my confidence and helping me make key decisions about my own skills set and the opportunities available to me locally.”

Meanwhile a new free resource for women returners cal-led Reboot your STEM Career is shortly to be available on the OU’s Open Learn website (www.open.edu/openlearn/stem-reboot), and features career-enhancing advice and tips.

“At the OU, we always stress the importance of both fa-ce-to-face and online networking, as well as making use of your contacts, particularly when so much of today’s job market is unadvertised,” says Clem Herman. “In fol-low-up research with course participants we found that employers and recruiters can be prejudiced against wo-men who have been out of work because they look at a CV and only see a gap — not their value. One success strategy we found was doing voluntary work as a way to keep ex-perience, skills and networks up to date, and opening up new opportunities and useful contacts.”

Refreshing skills and being creative with the type of job opportunities available is another key way for wo-men to get back into a STEM career, says Clem. “Many of the women who had originally trained in one STEM area took the opportunity of their career break to rethink and change direction, retraining and successfully making the transition to a new career.”

The OU is also a great place to work for women in STEM, with opportunities to work throughout the UK. “For pro-fessionals or academics, the OU is an institution that is world famous for its cutting-edge research while remain-ing a uniquely flexible place in which to work,” says Clem. “As an employer, the OU remains totally committed to equality – and ensuring women in STEM are able to pro-gress and achieve success in their own careers. In my de-partment for example, half of our professors are women which is highly unusual in the technology sector.”

Women looking to advance in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) careers should take advantage of the Open University’s distance learning expertise, initiatives and resources.

Education options for those looking to pursue a career in STEM


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