Inspiring inclusion thorugh our Women’s Learning and Development Network

With each passing year, the global movement towards female representation and equality in the workplace grows. Not only is this morally right, but it also makes good business sense. Why would a business limit itself to only 50% of the talent pool?   

However, what is clear is that not all careers attract equally. There is a noticeable gap between girls and boys who study STEM subjects beyond GCSE (35% of girls and 80% of boys). At university, only 25% of graduates in STEM subjects are women and 52% are males. (Women in Technology | Why is There a Small Amount of Women in STEM? – Women in Technology)  

This is a well-known issue, which is only now starting to be addressed by educators and organisations. What is also clear, is individual companies need to do more.  

Project Centre took this issue head-on and created the Women’s Learning and Development Network.  

Here’s the story so far

The Women’s Learning and Development Network (WLDN) was born out of listening to our staff. It was clear from our staff survey feedback that more was needed to support and develop the women of Project Centre. The Network, of both men and women across different departments and offices, was set out to understand what needed changing. 

The goals were split into long and short-term and included some realistic, achievable and measurable interventions.   

Short term

• Update interview process (Including wording in job advertising, presence of women in panels)  
• More presence on social media regarding our initiatives  
• Provide clarity for training for each job grade with a clear budget, time, and a potential blueprint  
• Draft award submissions highlighting the achievements of women at Project Centre  
• Host workshops on how to set targets and practical and concise tasks, establishing expectations as well as flexibility  
• Create networks across teams  
• Promote awareness around health issues and national days 

Long term

• Advance more women to senior positions (including project managers)  
• Increase the number of women working at Project Centre across all levels  
• Address unconscious bias in the workplace  
• Provide a strong support network that inspires, shares experiences and advice, and challenges staff in a safe and supportive environment  
• Support our women to increase their standing in their respective industries from awards to guest speaking  
• Discuss relevant topics such as career progression and managing work-life pressures  
• Provide input to company decisions, policies, and practices, including HR, the Equality and Diversity policy and its objectives  
• Create an environment of empowerment, supplying women with the resources to plan where they want their careers to go and using emotional intelligence to challenge unconscious bias  

Feeding into company policy

The Network input on lots of company decisions. One such policy is flexible working, which allows all staff to create a workday that suits their needs. One of the biggest barriers to mothers in full-time employment is fitting in childcare needs around their work.   

40% of women say they are responsible for the majority of childcare, compared to 9% of men (YouGov). The benefits of flexible working go far beyond parental commitments, with many studies showing the positive impact flexible working has on people’s mental well-being, physical health and stress levels.  

Recently, the WLDN partnered with Work180, a platform that empowers women and marginalised groups to advance in their careers through sharing career information and comparing employer policies, and benefits.  

Increasing the presence

Over the last year, the Network has implemented a frequent series of talks from prominent women, discussing their experiences. These talks have not only provided inspiration and advice but also a sense of reassurance. Women often face the same challenges but feel alone in their journey. By addressing these challenges, it has helped to break down stigma.  

Since the implementation of the Network, our staff have found greater happiness in their work with the support of our culture groups. This has increased a sense of community through challenging and occasionally isolating times.  

There is a calendar of inspirational female guest speakers providing insights into experiences and challenges. These include people from different backgrounds explaining their journey to overcome adversity within their personal and professional lives.  

The Network’s structure

The Network consists of two groups: Celebration and Culture. They meet regularly to work on distinct goals and to assess and review their direction and achievements.   

Celebrating achievements

The Celebration group is raising the profile of our female staff by actively researching and entering staff for awards. To mention one, three of our female staff were finalists for the Women in Construction and Engineering Awards (WICE) last year, and four have been nominated for the WICE Awards this year.    

The group also pioneered our People of Project Centre Awards (PoPs), which was a resounding success. The PoPs saw peers voting for each other based on demonstrating their best qualities, from dedication to compassion.   

Championing our people

Our Culture group has been instrumental in introducing a flexible working policy, enhancing the parental leave policy, as well as promoting training to recognise unconscious bias. They have reviewed content for job opportunities to ensure that the language is reflective of our welcoming and inclusive working environment.  

Other work has focused on increasing the clarity of our roles and career opportunities, focusing on a robust structured scheme to actively support personal growth and producing a clearer provision of career structures within the company.  

The story of our Women’s Learning and Development Network is a story of dedication, inspiration, and success, which has enabled a lot of positive change for everyone at Project Centre. We’re also proud to be endorsed by Work180 which recognises the steps colleagues have taken to create an environment where our women are empowered, and everyone gets inspired.  

If you’d like to work with us and join our Women’s Learning and Development Network, we currently have several positions open. Visit our careers page to find out more.