The Engineering Training Council in Northern Ireland and the Skills 4 organisation have joined forces to launch a project called Women into STEM Northern Ireland. This will see 20 SMEs and four large companies take on 50 women in jobs relating to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The two organisations will also promote STEM careers to female students and establish a mentoring and support network. At the launch of the project at Stormont, pupils from a number of schools heard ETC (NI) chief executive Gillian Winters quote investor Warren Buffett, who said last year that, “for most of history, women — whatever their abilities — have been relegated to the sidelines.”

Ms Winters left Bangor High School at 16 and signed up for a two-year apprenticeship in electrical and electronic engineering that led to an HNC qualification at Lisburn Training Centre. She went on to work for DDL in Craigavon as an electronics test technician and for Nortel at Newtownabbey as a quality engineer, before joining the ETC in 2005. She has since completed a degree in business management and is currently working towards a degree in business improvement.

Ms Winters said that the demand for skills is growing rapidly, particularly in technology sectors and advanced manufacturing like aerospace. She added: “Government, business and education need to come together and acknowledge the shortage of STEM graduates and apprentices. These workshops will help women to increase their capabilities and confidence and to achieve their career potential. We want to work with companies of all sizes, but particularly with smaller and medium-size businesses.”

Northern Ireland Employment and Learning Minister Stephen Farry said: “We need to get rid of the old notion of people with oily rags working on machines. We cannot begin to compete in a global market-place if we are not making the most of our talent.”