Reaching for the sky at GE Aviation Wales

5th December 2019

Gender equality charity, Chwarae Teg and GE Aviation Wales have come together again to celebrate the benefits of empowering female staff as leaders of the future.

The world renowned aviation business held a graduation event to recognise the achievements of female staff who have attained their Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) awards, which form part of Chwarae Teg’s wider career development programme.

This is another example of the strong partnership between the two organisations, which work together closely on promoting female engagement in careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. An example last October was when GE Aviation Wales hosted one of Chwarae Teg’s ‘Not Just For Boys’ events.

The celebratory graduation event saw Cerys Furlong, Chief Executive, Chwarae Teg speaking to graduates and presenting them with their ILM certificates.

Chwarae Teg’s Agile Nation 2 career development programme is fully funded by the European Social Fund through Welsh Government. It is a unique and inspirational initiative, helping working women develop knowledge, confidence and skills for team leading or managerial roles. The dedicated team at Chwarae Teg provide expert coaching, mentoring and training designed to empower women to achieve their ambitions.

It was an honour to be part of this event. It was a celebration of the remarkable women who have participated in the programme and also of GE Aviation Wales as an employer who has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring their female staff are able to achieve and prosper. It’s moments like this that really show the benefits of the work we do at Chwarae Teg, working with women and employers to reap the rewards of a gender equal and diverse workforce.”

Cerys Furlong
Chief Executive, Chwarae Teg

It was fantastic to be involved with Chwarae Teg and see the value of what they can deliver to our staff and to us as an organisation. The future of the aviation sector will be built and sustained by a talented, diverse and highly skilled workforce; this is why equality and maximising the potential of our all our staff is so important to our business.

“We know that more women in good quality, higher paid roles benefits everybody in the wider economy. We also know that having a more diverse workforce benefits businesses by bringing different ideas and perspectives, attracting a wider range of customers, and leading to a happier, more valued workforce. That is why programmes like this are so important.

“We are hugely proud of the achievements of these female members of staff. They have not only gained key leadership skills valued by us as an employer but also developed their own confidence and motivation.
Nick Blakeney
Managing Director, GE Aviation Wales

Women interested in joining the programme should visit www.agilenation2.org.uk/for-women for further information and eligibility details.