SSE is taking part in a pioneering project to support women back into employment in the STEM industries. Equate Scotland, in partnership with Prospect (the trade union for professionals) and funded by Skills Development Scotland, is working with a group of 15 women across Scotland, focussing on building their confidence and skills to support them back into the workplace after a career break.
The project has been working with a number of large STEM employers including SSE, Babcock International, EDF Energy and Scottish Power and has successfully secured a number of paid placements allowing participants to take their first steps back into work.
Throughout the six-month project, Equate Scotland has provided a bespoke range of support services to participants, including workshops, webinars, networking events, one-to-one ‘career clinics’ and online support. This has helped the women to build their skills and confidence, access peer support and grow their professional networks, complementing the on-the-job re-training provided by employers as part of the placements.
According to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, it is estimated that women’s participation in the STEM sectors in Scotland is worth over £71 million pounds a year to the Scottish economy. The success of this pilot demonstrates that paid ‘return-ships’ provide a very effective way of harnessing that opportunity to the full, benefiting Scotland’s economy, STEM industries and women.
Rosemary FaithRyan, a participant in the project who secured a placement at SSE, said:
“When I heard that Equate Scotland was launching a pilot STEM returners project in Scotland I jumped at the opportunity. It is with excitement that I look forward to spending six months with SSE, working in a civil engineering role, updating my technical skills and improving my employability.
“Equate has supported me in identifying my transferable skills, encouraging me to network, providing me with a career coach and giving me the confidence to return to the civil engineering sector.”
Rosie MacRae, HR Programmes Manager at SSE, said:
“This is an exciting initiative and one which we are proud to take part in. SSE, along with other employers in the energy sector, is facing a significant skills shortage in the next 5 to 10 years. The research carried out as part of this project shows us that there is an extensive and highly skilled pool of women who could help to fill that gap, given the opportunity and the right support.
“We are confident that much will be gained over the coming months both by us and by the women we will be working with.”
Talat Yaqoob, Director at Equate Scotland, said:
“Seventy three per cent of women graduating with STEM qualifications do not remain in the STEM sector - this is a significant asset for Scotland’s industry and economy to be missing out on.
This project highlights the problem, but crucially, also provides a model for resolving it. By working with women to help them feel work-ready after a career break, and by working with employers to provide good work practice such as flexible working, Equate Scotland is shifting the culture in STEM and creating a future STEM sector that is accessible to women.”