Intelect's Marketing and Communications Manager, Lily Brothwood and Managing Director, Fran Cormican.

23/06/2022

As companies around the world celebrate International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), local mechanical and electrical engineering business, Intelect are transpiring their thoughts into action, by becoming a Corporate Supporter of the Power of Women campaign.

Celebrating its ninth year in 2022, INWED gives female engineers around the world a platform of visibility, and encourages young women and girls to take up engineering careers, something which Intelect are keen to champion.

According to the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), it’s reported that as of June 2021, only 16.5% of engineers are women, a figure which highlights the huge gender imbalance within the industry.

It’s these imbalances and inequalities that fuelled the fire of a group of local Tees Valley business leaders, spear headed by the late Professor Jane Turner OBE DL, to devise an action plan and create a campaign that improves the lives and aspirations of young women in the Tees Valley and beyond, leading to the launch of the Power of Women campaign in 2022.

Having worked in male dominated industries since the start of her career, Intelect’s Marketing and Communications Manager, Lily Brothwood is accustomed to challenging gender stereotypes, and was keen to continue doing so when she joined the company in December 2021.

Lily said, “When I joined Intelect, it was fantastic to see just how much work the company does to support young people, both inside and outside of the organisation, and in particular when it comes to advocating apprenticeships and career opportunities that are available within the engineering industry.

“That being said, it has always been frustrating to see the obvious lack of female presence within the sector, something which is highlighted further whenever we promote vacancies, which often leads too little to no women applying.

She continued, “To mark International Women in Engineering Day this year, we were delighted to become a Supporter of the Power of Women campaign to further cement our commitment when it comes to levelling up. It’s vital that young women and girls have visible role models within the industries that they aspire to work in, so that they can make their own choices, and choose their own path when it comes to their career.”

Power of Women chair Jane Armitage, who was Tees Businesswoman of the Year in 2020, said: “We’re thrilled that Intelect are backing the POW campaign to raise the aspirations and ambitions of our region’s girls and young women.

“There are significant challenges to be overcome but, with the support of companies such as Intelect, the Power of Women is beginning to make an impact, helping to create role models for the next generation to aspire to and emulate. You can’t believe what you can’t see. It is by seeing people in roles that girls will themselves believe they can aspire to and achieve, so it’s wonderful that Intelect are speaking out to mark International Women in Engineering Day too.”

Intelect’s Managing Director, Fran Cormican said, “Historically, the engineering industry has seen a huge underrepresentation of women. As businesses, it is so important that we come together to combat these imbalances by ensuring our sector is accessible to everyone and visible to future generations.

“We understand that there is still a long way to go when it comes to gender equality within the engineering industry, but by making these steps and working with the likes of the Power of Women campaign to combat stereotypes, we believe that we can continue to make a positive change for the future.”

For more information about the Power of Women campaign and how you can get involved, visit: https://powerofwomen.org.uk/