More funds for UK women in SET

An UK Resource Centre for Women in SET product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Mar 24, 2005

The UK Resource Centre for Women in SET has received a GBP 2.8 million funding boost.

The UK Resource Centre for Women in SET (science, engineering and technology) has received a GBP 2.8 million boost.

The centre, designed to assist the recruitment, retention and progression of women in SET careers will receive an additional GBP 800,000 in 2006-07 and a further boost of GBP 2 million in 2007-08 from the science budget allocations that were announced recently.

Trade and Industry Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, said: "The UK science base is world class and record levels of funding show our commitment to sustaining this".

"But to stay at the forefront we need to harness all of our potential".

"We cannot afford to ignore the massive contribution that women make to our economy".

"The resource centre plays a vital role in encouraging and supporting women in science and engineering careers".

The funding will help the centre continue its vital work, and areas where the money will be spent on include: a national grant scheme for minority women in SET; setting up a satellite centre in Northern Ireland and hubs in other regions; and a national network, mentoring and development scheme, "Entrepreneurship for women in SET".

The centre, based in Bradford's Science Park and launched in September 2004 by Patricia Hewitt, has made great progress in developing projects and programmes.

It is already offering a wide range of information services to employers and employees and working closely with key organisations such as the Athena Project, the Daphne Jackson Trust, Portia, Equalitec and WISE.