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News Release from: Tees Valley Engineering Partnership
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 02 October 2006
Recruiter calls for Government help for
women
Tees Valley Engineering Partnership member Robin Davison has called on Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly, to do more to help encourage women into a career in the engineering sector.
Tees Valley Engineering Partnership member Robin Davison has called on Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly, to do more to help encourage women into a career in the engineering sector Davison, who is currently Managing Director of specialist recruitment firm Wolviston Group, was speaking out following Ruth Kelly's unveiling of a new Government plan aimed at encouraging more women to undertake a career in male dominated industries
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 28 Sep 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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The plan, developed as part of a wider effort to help women advance in the workplace, aims to ensure that girls at school are made aware of 'nontraditional opportunities' such as construction, engineering and plumbing and will implement measures to ensure that careers advice is free from any gender stereotyping.
Measures will also be included to improve part-time and flexible working hours to assist women in reaching the top after career breaks, especially after taking time out of work to raise a family.
With more than 40 years experience in the engineering sector, Davison says he supports theses plans in theory, but believes that the proposals are still underestimating the problem at hand.
He said: "The logic behind Ruth Kelly's plans is sound and the intentions are admirable, but I sincerely doubt that the Government are going to pursue this idea to the extent that is needed, not just in the construction sector but also in a much wider array of industries".
"For example, offering female students unbiased careers advice may help to even out the ratio of men to women in university engineering lectures and graduate intakes, but it won't necessarily mean that they follow this career path in the long term".
"In fact, it is estimated that around 50,000 women who have science, engineering and technology related degrees, are not currently working in those industries".
"It seems obvious to me that the challenge is not just about encouraging women to begin an engineering career, but showing them that is a viable option in the longer term".
"We must show them that these jobs are vitally important to the economy and that getting your hands dirty can be even more fulfilling and rewarding than a career in retail, hairdressing and other more common female vocations".
"I doubt that Ruth Kelly can achieve this with nothing more than flexible working proposals and unbiased careers advice".
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