Careers for girls in Engineering and Green Economy highlighted in Penygroes

6th March 2023

Careers in engineering and green economy are not just for boys, was the message at an alternative careers event for girls in Penygroes.

Wales’ leading gender equality charity, Chwarae Teg partnered with Adra to present the next Not Just for Boys event on the 6th of March, in celebration of International Women’s Day.

Not Just for Boys aims to give girls in years 8 and 9, from local schools, the chance to find out more about different career options before they choose their GCSE subjects. 65 pupils from Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle attended the event, which particularly focussed on careers in the engineering and green economy sectors.

Adra, who hosted the event provides quality homes in North Wales. They look after 6,800 homes and provide services to over 15,000 local customers. They are among the first housing associations in Wales to show its commitment to the Welsh Government’s drive to decarbonize homes by 2030.

Adra, Weber, Marley, Dŵr Cymru, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, CIST and Altro Flooring were among the exhibitors present on the day.

Students participated in activities with various exhibitors, learning about solar panels with Marley, external wall installations with Weber, flooring material and design with Altro Flooring, heat pumps and solar PV with Grwp Llandrillo Menai and CIST, and water networking activities with Dŵr Cymru.

They also had the opportunity to take a tour of Adra’s new decarbonization hub, Tŷ Gwyrddfai, and speak with female role models from Adra in a Q&A session.

The “Young Women’s Experiences of Careers Advice and Guidance in Wales” report published last year by Chwarae Teg explores the current picture of career advice services for young women in Wales.

Frustratingly, it shows that too many career choices continue to be shaped by longstanding gender stereotypes – leading to gender segregation in the workplace and Wales’ persistent gender pay gap.

Women are still favouring traditionally female dominated sectors, despite the need for more women in sectors such as science, technology, engineering, and maths which can offer higher salaries.

Chwarae Teg wants to give girls the opportunity to explore careers that they might not consider as women, and we are delighted to be working with a fantastic, Welsh employer like Adra to spread this message. Not Just for Boys gives girls a chance to meet industry professionals and get a taste of what it would be like to work in the industry.

Current surveys indicate that only 11% of the UK’s engineering workforce is female and that the UK has the lowest percentage of female engineering professionals in Europe. This event with Adra, an important local employer, will show girls that they too can aspire to a career in non-traditional sectors.
Emily Loosmore
Collaborations Partner, Chwarae Teg

As one of the largest employers in the area, we at Adra have a responsibility to inspire the young people who live in our communities, and show them that careers within the construction, engineering and green economy sector are well within their grasp.

We’re keen to increase the diversity of our workforce, and we encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply for jobs with us in the sectors mentioned above. This is why we are thrilled to be collaborating with Chwarae Teg on their Not Just for Boys campaign and we look forward to continuing working with them in the future.
Ceri Ellis-Jackson
Social Value Co-ordinator, Adra