Held at the House of Commons, the launch event was attended by high profile representatives from industry and Government, along with educators and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) organisations.
In the UK, fewer than one in ten STEM Managers are female and only 8.7% of professional engineers are women.
The UK has the lowest proportion of female engineering professionals across the EU states, compared to Sweden with 26% and Bulgaria with 29%.
Set up as a sub-project of British Glass’ training and skills development arm, The Glass Academy, WiM is a not-for-profit initiative to bring together the UK manufacturing and engineering community and engineer networks to attract, support and retain women into the sector.
Companies at the event included BT, Siemens, Atkins, TATA Steel, Thales, WISE, The Engineering Society, UCL and the University of Sheffield.
Education Minister, Lord Nash, was the keynote speaker and discussed the importance of industry and education working effectively together to address the paucity of women in STEM careers.
Dave Dalton, chief executive of 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 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 possible career paths.”
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 the Swarovski Executive Board, added: “Being a fifth generation member of a glass manufacturing family, I am passionate about engineering and technology, crafting and manufacturing – especially with glass, which often results in an end product that is enlightening and inspiring to the end user – and we need to empower, celebrate and entice more women into this sector.
Approximately two-thirds of Swarovski’s workforce are women, employing over 8,700 women in manufacturing.
