Flying high is Not Just for Boys

29th August 2019

High Schools in the Vale of Glamorgan are being encouraged to sign up for the latest Not Just For Boys event – designed to help girls find out more about different careers across a variety of industries before they choose their GCSE options.

Run by Chwarae Teg, the next event on the 18 September will be an ‘aviation special’ with the gender equality charity partnering up with British Airways Maintenance Cardiff (BAMC) and Careers Wales. Together they will show that careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) are Not Just For Boys.

Pencoedtre High School and Llantwit Major School will attend and it’s hoped more will follow suit and sign up to the sessions which will take place at BAMC based at Cardiff International Airport.

Girls attending, from years 8 and 9, will have the chance to take a tour of the hanger at BAMC and discover a variety of exciting STEM related careers on offer. They will meet female role models from a range of STEM industries and be able to take part in try-a-trade activities in engineering, digital and other skills areas, which they may not have considered before.

At Chwarae Teg we want to show girls that their career aspirations should not to be limited by gender, so we’re delighted to be working with a high profile, global company like British Airways Maintenance Cardiff and Careers Wales to spread this message.

“Our Not Just For Boys evets are important for a number of reasons. For instance, out of the schools in Wales offering physics at A level, 40% don’t have any girls on the course and figures for girls taking up computer science are also extremely low.

“Our own research has shown that 87% of girls feel they are pigeonholed into stereotyped career options. Also there are surveys which show that only 11% of the UK’s engineering workforce is female - the lowest percentage in Europe.

“These issues are vital to tackle, particularly as STEM industries are high growth sectors, with higher pay and better opportunities for progression, so girls need to know they are Not Just For Boys!”
Emma Tamplin
Collaboration Partner

We’re really excited to be hosting Not Just For Boys in partnership with Chwarae Teg and Careers Wales. At BAMC we maintain British Airways long-haul fleet which includes the 747, 777 and the industry leading technology of the 787 Dreamliner.

“It promises to be a fantastic event with some amazing people and exhibitors taking part on the day. In an industry such as ours we need to attract a skilled workforce and encouraging girls to train and qualify in relevant subjects is a key part of that. We’re really looking forward to playing our part in inspiring young women from the local area to become the engineers of the future.

"We hope it will break down myths that such careers are just for boys, and make girls look at the exciting opportunities on offer.
Sarah Radcliffe
HR Manager, British Airways Maintenance Cardiff (BAMC)