A Hampshire-based engineering consultancy has become the UK’s first SME to win a gender equality award from the UKRC – the government outfit that aims to combat the under-representation of women in science, engineering and technology.
The Science Engineering and Technology (SET) Fair Standard is the UK’s first industry award specifically aimed at achieving gender equality in the workplace and gives public recognition for good practice and excellence in tackling gender inequality in SET sectors – sectors with longstanding issues around the recruitment and retention of women.
The organisation’s assessment process sees company’s equality practices independently assessed and moderated and, if successful, an award is made at one of three levels: Committed, Achieving and Outstanding.
Card Geotechnics, a geotechnical and geo-environmental consultancy, was recognised as an ‘Achieving’ organisation for its: ‘excellence in gender equality in terms of its overall staff make-up, which boasts more than 50% female staff and a high proportion of women in management.’
The UKRC said the company makes: ‘a strong business case for tackling gender inequality to its staff, clients and partners and has a new gender equality policy which is expressly designed to make appropriate improvements in policy and practice.’
UKRC director Annette Williams added: ‘Science, engineering and technology will be at the forefront of taking the UK out of recession and it is critical that business and organisations like Card Geotechnics play an equally productive role in challenging gender inequality. The Standard is an important initiative which can assist other organisations to increase the participation and progression of women in sectors vital to the UK economy.’
‘This organisation has championed gender equality. Their staff are keen to point out how fair and equal they feel workplace culture and career progression is at the company and how different this is from other organisations for which they’ve worked.’
>> To find out more about the UKRC’s SET Fair Standard visit: http://www.ukrc4setwomen.org/html/employers/set-fair-standard or call 01274 436485.
Tags: tabitha cole, Women in Science Engineering and Technology
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