International Womens Day

We’re celebrating International Women’s Day at Employment Solutions by highlighting the importance of encouraging more women into STEM careers.
 
For many years, women have been underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics university courses and occupations. According to data from UCAS, just 35% of STEM students, in higher education in the UK, are women.
 
As the STEM sector continues to grow at a rapid rate, with core STEM employment increasing by 6.3% since 2017, government data shows that there are now one million women working in core stem occupations. While the figure represents a huge step in the right direction - this figure accounts for just 24% of the UK’s STEM workforce.
 
Carolyn Frodsham, Managing Director of Employment Solutions, says women play an important role in the continued growth of the STEM sector:
 
“At present, the UK has the lowest proportion of women in engineering jobs in any European nation, accounting for just 10% of roles and 14% of engineering university places. This should be a major concern for businesses, particularly when considering the significant skills shortage that currently exists in STEM sector jobs.

“A diverse workforce is something that businesses across all sectors should strive to achieve, with data showing that teams with equal numbers of men and women drive on average 41% more revenue for their employer. In STEM sectors, in particular, having a range of attitudes and experiences within any team is critical to success.

“Young women need to be aware of the opportunities that are available to them in order to fully understand what a career in the STEM sectors could entail. While progress is being made to get more women into these roles, there is still a long way to go and more than can be done. ”

We spoke to Rebecca Bates, former candidate and now Engineering Systems Manager about her experiences in the STEM sector.
 
What drew you towards a career in engineering?
It was mainly the role that appealed to me as it is quite distinctive and an area I really wanted to focus on and further develop.
 
What challenges, if any, have you faced?
The challenges have been due to the COVID situation i.e. majority of the team working from home not getting the same direct contact you would normally encounter when starting a new job ...but this has been the same for a lot of new starters.
 
What do you think needs to be done to encourage more women into STEM careers?
More encouragement within the schools... perhaps STEM organisations participating with educational institutions to demonstrate the vast number of opportunities available to everyone
 
What would you say to any young women thinking about a career in STEM?
If women are interested in a career in STEM, they should follow their minds.

Want to know more?
If you’re looking for specialist recruitment professionals with a proven and sustainable track record of success to contribute to the growth of your operation - no matter the sector or industry you’re in - we are the firm for you. Find out how we can assist with your engineering recruitment by clicking here.