Two of Wales’ leading manufacturing and engineering companies have signed up to Chwarae Teg’s FairPlay Employer service, a promising commitment to the sector’s future in Wales.

Chwarae Teg, Wales’ leading gender equality organisation, is delighted that Ford Manufacturing and Safran Seats GB have joined the programme, which supports and reviews businesses on key areas such as recruitment, modern working practices, staff engagement and inclusion. The service provides its clients with a bespoke action plan, recognition as a FairPlay EmployerTM and access to a range of resources and events.

Safran Seats GB employs more than 1700 people across 3 main sites, with its Head Office based in Cwmbran, Torfaen. On 1st December this year Safran Seats GB (formerly Zodiac Aerospace) officially became a subsidiary of French-based Safran, an international high-technology group operating in the aircraft propulsion and equipment, space and defence markets.

Through the FairPlay Employer service they are looking to continue their journey to be a great place to work and explore further initiatives to attract female engineers into the organisation. Sian Williams, HR Director of Safran Seats GB, said “We are really pleased to be working with Chwarae Teg on the Fair Play Employer programme and believe this will help us as we move forward to becoming a great place of work as we identify and improve our diversity, inclusion and equality for all.”

Louise David, Chwarae Teg’s Business Lead, said ‘We are delighted to be working so closely with the manufacturing and engineering sector in Wales. We are encouraged to see organisations such as Safran Seats and Ford putting gender at the heart of their business for benefit of all.

It’s not just about recruiting women into the sector. Forward thinking businesses are taking a much more holistic approach. They want to ensure their business is the right environment for everyone to thrive, which is where Chwarae Teg can provide over 25 years of our expertise through FairPlay Employer.”’
Hugh Davies, Production Team Manager at Ford Manufacturing in Bridgend, said “We are very excited to start on our journey with Chwarae Teg and look forward to exploring new aspects of employee engagement and inclusion. Understanding and supporting our work force is a key factor to developing and maintaining a happy working environment and also promotes improved business opportunities and ideas.”

The UK manufacturing and engineering industry continues to have a skills shortage. 72% of manufacturers are concerned about finding the skills they need for their business whilst only 10% of the workforce is made up of women. Ensuring that careers in engineering and manufacturing appeal to women and girls would go a long way to providing a workforce with great opportunities for individual and business alike.

Research shows that if we work towards closing the gender gaps in the economy we could add £150bn to GDP by 2025 which would result in an 8% economic growth to the Welsh economy.

The commitment shown by these two leading Welsh employers is promising news for the future of the industry, and the economy, in Wales.

If you would like to find out more about Chwarae Teg’s FairPlay Employer programme contact [email protected]

Chwarae Teg brought the local business community together for its inaugural FairPlay Business Network event at the Virgin Money Lounge, Cardiff, this month. The new network aims to support Welsh businesses on gender equality issues.

Latest figures show the 2018 gender pay gap in Wales is 13.5%, a lower gap than the UK average of 18%. The Welsh gender pay gap has reduced at a higher rate than the rest of the UK over the past year.

Chwarae Teg works with Welsh businesses to take the lead on gender equality through its Agile Nation2 Business Programme, funded by the European Social Fund through Welsh Government. The event gave guests a taster of the specialist advice and support on offer from the programme.

Guest speaker Ryan Cullen, People Success Lead at DevOpsGroup, shared insights into how the hugely successful Cardiff-based IT business identified and addressed unconscious bias in their recruitment practices - with dramatic effects on the number of women applying and working at the company as a result.

The event also recognised several businesses who have recently completed the Agile Nation2 programme. These included Control 2K Training, Bridgend, and Blue Water Recruitment, Nantgarw. Both organisations were awarded the ‘Leading’ Agile Nation2 Fairplay Employer award.

The FairPlay Business Network will be holding further events around Wales in 2019, plus introductory webinars on key topics.

We are pleased to announce that Torfaen Leisure Trust has received the Silver FairPlay Employer Award.

Torfaen Leisure trust has been recognised for its commitment to diverse and inclusive practices within the workplace.

The Trust, responsible for the delivery of leisure services in five sites across the Borough of Torfaen, has received our Silver FairPlay Employer Award for their commitment towards gender equality, inclusive approach towards working practices, and staff engagement.

Chief Executive, Angharad Collins, is passionate about the Trust, their employees and their customers and is dedicated to working with Chwarae Teg on their FairPlay Employer Service Action Plan, designed in line with the goals of their 5 year Strategic Plan.

Angharad said;

“We’ve been delighted to work with Chwarae Teg on our FairPlay Employer Award and we are thrilled to have achieved the Silver Award. I am looking forward to working with the team around our strategy to take us to gold next year and, fingers crossed, platinum the year after! Chwarae Teg has given us the chance to reflect on where we are currently, and to put practices in place to take us to the next level. The Service has been a great way to engage with our staff, and listen to how they feel about working for Torfaen Leisure Trust. So actually, this isn’t my award – this is for the team. Well done team TLT!”

Dedicated to improving the representation of women at senior levels the Trust is focused on supporting career progression, and are investing considerably in Learning and Development with 64% of staff currently studying or training.

Spread across five sites, Pontypool Ski Slope, Pontypool Active Living Centre, Cwmbran Stadium, Fairwater Leisure Centre and Bowden Active Living Centre, engaging staff was key to the Trust and a number of initiatives have been put in place. As they celebrate 5 years, the Trust will be celebrating and recognising their team members who have gone above and beyond in 2018.

Alison Dacey, Employer Partner at Chwarae Teg said:

“The Trust was keen to benchmark where they are as an employer, and to engage with their staff. A number of initiatives are proving to be a big success such as the staff Facebook page, and new uniforms. For the first time this year, the Trust is holding award ceremonies with categories for volunteers and employees. I am delighted to be working with Angharad and the Trust, with our Action Plan moving forward focused on Performance management, flexible working and recruitment & selection. The Trust is keen to put practices in place that will help them move onto Gold FairPlay Employer Award and ultimately a Platinum FairPlay Employer Award.”

Find out more about our FairPlay Employer service here.

At an event at the old town hall - Redhouse in Merthyr, Jane Hutt AM and Julie Morgan AM from the purple plaque steering committee officially announced that the next person to be commemorated with a plaque is the founding member of the Department of Gender Studies at the now University of South Wales and of the Women’s Archive of Wales – Ursula Masson. The steering committee met with Ceinwen Statter, one of the people who nominated Ursula Masson.

The Purple Plaque campaign was launched on International Women’s Day 2018, by a group of volunteers to commemorate the late Assembly Member Val Feld. The campaign, which is run in partnership with gender equality charity Chwarae Teg, aims to improve the recognition of remarkable women in Wales and award them with a purple plaque to commemorate their achievements and cement their legacy in Welsh history.

Born into the Merthyr Tydfil Irish community, Ursula O’Connor attended Cyfarthfa Castle Grammar School and Cardiff University. She worked as a journalist on the Sydney Morning Herald from 1969 to 1972. She did her MA at the University of Keele, funded by a bursary from Margaret Stewart Taylor, Merthyr’s first female chief librarian. Her dissertation was on Irish immigration to Merthyr. After working in adult education in Swansea she moved to Treforest. Here she had particular interest in women’s history and feminism.

Following the announcement regarding the next purple plaque, the steering committee chair, Jane Hutt AM, said:

“Following the unveiling of the first Purple Plaque in memory of Val Feld at the Senedd we received a large number of very deserving nominations for women from across Wales for future plaques.

“We were struck by the incredible impact that Ursula Masson had on securing the presence of women in historical and political writings and records. Ursula was a feminist historian whose main interest was the political history of women in Wales. As she was someone who wrote widely about the women’s suffrage movement in Wales, it is apt that we are making this announcement in year that is the 100th anniversary of some women getting the vote.

“We are now looking forward to working with the community towards the unveiling of the Purple Plaque in Merthyr Tydfil to commemorate Ursula and her important work.”

Ceinwen Statter who nominated Ursula Masson for a Purple Plaque, said:

“I am delighted that Ursula Masson is to be commemorated with a purple plaque as her story is one that needs to be told again and again, it shows the young women of Merthyr that they can do anything! There are two main reasons why I nominated Ursula - one professional and one personal.

“Professionally she achieved outstanding results in promoting the role of women in Wales, both currently and historically. Her work with Llafur - the Welsh Working Class history organisation, with the Women’s Archive Wales and setting up the Centre for Gender Studies at the then University of Glamorgan were outstanding achievements. These deserve recognition ten years after Ursula died.

“Personally, Ursula’s mother and my mother attended Quakers Yard Grammar School together, where they were taught by Sephora Davies, another woman whose contribution to Merthyr was outstanding.

“Although there is some recognition of Ursula’s work at Merthyr’s Old Town Hall, the Redhouse, it is not widely known. I’m pleased that there will be a Purple Plaque erected in her memory in Merthyr to make more people aware of her remarkable story.”