Held last Wednesday, 9^th October, at Hull’s Guildhall, the annual Women into Manufacturing and Engineering (WiME) event seeks to inspire women and girls to pursue careers in the traditionally male-dominated industries of manufacturing and engineering by drawing on the knowledge and first-hand experiences of women who are currently employed in a variety of roles across the Humber region to help promote opportunities and inspire the workforce of the future.

Accompanying a group of Year 9 students from Withernsea High School was Careers Leader, Viki Foster, who said: “The Women into Manufacturing and Engineering event is one of the highlights of our careers calendar and really showcases the many roles and pathways, including apprenticeship and traineeships, that are available within a variety of sectors.

“It is vital that we address gender stereotypes in job roles in order to help young people access careers that they may not have otherwise considered. The event had a huge impact on the students, with over two thirds saying that it had changed their opinion for the better with many now saying that they would consider a role within manufacturing and engineering.

“Such events are essential in helping to provide students with access to employers, information about the labour market and progression routes through academic and vocational pathways. The company representatives were excellent role models and advocates for their industries and our students had a great time interacting with them and learning more about their roles and responsibilities.

“We would like to thank the organisers and employers for giving up their time to offer this opportunity for our students, who engaged well with the event and made the most of the opportunity afforded to them. We are delighted that representatives from Women into Manufacturing and Engineering are amongst some of the first to confirm their attendance at our own community careers fair which will take place at the school in February 2025.”

Daisy Jones, a Year 9 student at the school, said: "I thought the WiME trip was really good as it gave me a different perspective about my future with lots of new choices to think about.”

Exclusively open during the daytime to primary school pupils and students from secondary schools and colleges, around 520 young people from 26 educational settings across Hull and East Yorkshire visited this year’s event where they were given a platform to interact with representatives from over 30 of the Humber’s leading employers.

Dr. Kirsty Clode, Chairwoman of WiME, said: “We made a conscious effort to invite women from a wide range of companies, which this year included Ideal Heating, KCOM, National Grid, Siemens Gamesa, Smith + Nephew and Centrica Energy Storage, to share what they do and showcase career opportunities.

“Our schools’ event was the busiest we've ever had and we were pleased to welcome pupils from right across the region. Many of the teachers and careers advisers that attended commented on the fact that they had met representatives from companies they had never heard of before and both they, and the accompanying students, enjoyed finding out more about them. 

“The feedback from pupils has been so positive. One wrote that the event had shown them ‘a range of new fields and opportunities’, while another said ‘what inspires me is the power of women in a generally male-dominated world and I am really fascinated about the possibilities in engineering’.

As the daytime event for schools drew to a close, the fair opened its doors to the wider public. Marketed towards female students in Higher Education; women looking to return to work after a career break, or wanting to make a career change, the public event also provided an opportunity for school and college students to explore opportunities alongside their parents and carers.

Dr. Clode added: “Our early evening public event was another great success. It was fantastic to see a large number of mature women seeking new opportunities and we also had female students with their parents and carers too. Career opportunities in our region continue to grow and many attendees were hugely impressed with the opportunities that are available on their doorstep.

“Since we started WiME in 2016, the events have gone from strength-to-strength - with this year’s becoming the biggest one to date. I would like to thank all the employers, schools and colleges who continue to support us. It's only by working together that we can inspire more women and girls to consider careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) roles.”

Among the many company representatives at the event was Charis Kousounia, a Quality Assurance Technician and STEM Ambassador with Smith + Nephew, who said: “We had an incredible day representing Smith + Nephew as part of WiME. This year, we saw impressive female representation - with participants ranging from technical engineers to research and development engineers, laboratory analysts, and operations engineers. The students who visited our stand enjoyed exploring various wound management topics through our demonstrations. Some students were so captivated by what we do that they expressed interest in joining the company in the future.

“The public session was also a great success and it was heartening to see parents and carers supporting their children as they take steps in their academic and professional journeys. As professionals, we believe it’s vital to help these students recognise the importance of female representation in the industry and to present them with all the possibilities for pursuing a career in STEM.”

There remains a high demand across Hull and East Yorkshire for people with STEM qualifications, which are useful in both the manufacturing and engineering industries. Despite this demand, women still remain under-represented in these areas. This under-representation inspired the launch of WiME as a means to encourage, inspire and help women to discover the many, often hidden, opportunities that are available to them. 

At present, manufacturing contributes 17 per cent of employment in the Humber area, compared with 8.7 per cent for England as a whole. Local employment figures are set to grow further in the coming years thanks to continuing investment in renewable energy and STEM-related projects to address climate change.

WiME is an initiative by Green Port Hull, supported by North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, East Riding and Hull City Councils, to encourage women to choose a career in manufacturing or engineering. The initiative has grown in strength in recent years, with a network of over 50 local companies helping to engage with over 4,700 women and girls to encourage them to consider STEM subjects and associated career opportunities.

ABOVE: Year 9 students Daisy Parker and Daisy Jones were among a group of students from the school who attended this year’s WiME careers fair. 

ABOVE: Fellow Year 9 student Hermione Moore speaking to a representative from IT and communications provider, KCOM.

ABOVE: Visitors to the careers fair were given the opportunity to try hands-on activities. Here, Edith Whittaker gets to grips with virtual reality technology.