Helping to get the balance right for women

Jan 22 2008 by Sarah Judd, Evening Gazette

INTRODUCING flexible working practices will be crucial to key North-east industries if they are to overcome a massive skills shortage by attracting more female employees.

That’s according to JIVE, a major partnership project led by the UK Resource Centre for Women In Science Engineering and Technology (SET) that has developed new ways to tackle the issue of the under-employment of women in the industries.

JIVE, whose work was taken over by the UK Resource Centre on December 31, has provided support to and won the backing of thousands of women across the UK.

Helen Hine, senior formulation scientist Suncare (Personal Care Applications) at Redcar-based Croda Chemicals Europe, is one of them.

Helen believes guidance for young women interested in careers in science must be improved and issues of work-life balance need to be addressed.

She said: “I think some areas of science are still male-dominated, but I have probably escaped that because of the niche area I work in.

“Where issues do persist, I think it’s a lot to do with work-life balance. It’s because in scientific research and development there’s a culture of working very long hours and that is not always possible for women if they have children.

“The company that I work for is extremely flexible in that way.”

JIVE is calling on top-level managers to sign up to a number of ideas to encourage more women in Science Engineering and Technology, including the implementation of flexible and part-time working practices.

Annette Williams, director of the UKRC, lead partner in the JIVE project, said: “The UK cannot afford to waste the talents of half its potential workforce.

“Businesses need to open their doors to women by having in place policies and practices which actively encourage women - and girls - to take up jobs in the science, engineering and technology sectors, or come back into those industries after a career break.”

JIVE is also calling on businesses to develop and communicate the business case for gender equality within their company, supply chain and wider networks and also promote and showcase their company’s approach and examples of best practice.

The organisation has run university-based workshops to promote flexible employment practices to SMEs, and has worked with more than 150 firms to provide advice and support on gender equality practices.

It has also provided practical support to more than 600 women wanting to return to the labour market, and has set up work

experience and work placement schemes with key employers, to give opportunities to women looking to return to the science, engineering or technology sectors.