Executives and managers at BAE Systems see International Women’s Day on March 8 as a good time to remind women of the value of a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.
“We’ve come a long way since I was at school and this has enabled a lot of talented women to have important STEM roles but there is still sometimes a view that science and engineering is for boys and that’s just not true,” said Elizabeth Seward, Head of Space Strategy at BAE Systems.
“It’s so much fun working in STEM particularly for me in space at a time where our eyes are fixed on new horizons and new possibilities,” Seward added.
Billie Sequeira, a sustainability executive at BAE, encouraged aspiring engineers and technicians “not to feel confined by the archetypal stereotype of people who work in STEM”.
“In engineering alone, there are a huge range of opportunities and subject fields to work within,” said Sequeira, previously an apprentice and engineering technician at BAE.
“Increasing visibility of women in STEM, mentoring and championing women role models, alongside greater access to work experience opportunities, internships and taster days will help,” Sequeira added.