At Leyton, we believe that addressing the gender gap is crucial for our success, for the success of the individuals who make up our hard working teams, and for the prosperity of the UK economy as a whole.
Earlier this year, the government published a report on the supply of skills for jobs in science and technology, showing that women make up just 25% of the overall STEM workforce in the UK. That number falls to just 12% for engineering professionals and 8% for engineering technicians.
The low numbers should be an eye-opener for all because STEM roles are hugely important for their contribution towards fostering innovation and increasing productivity in the UK. As such, under-representation in STEM doesn’t just have a negative impact on individuals who might otherwise be benefiting from high-earning and rewarding roles; it also limits the available talent pool for our crucial STEM sectors, when we are already facing a skills shortage.
In a recent article for Energy Voice, Nicola Plenderleith, Head of Talent Acquisition at Leyton UK, highlighted how inequality in investing is also holding back economic growth:
“Without sufficient capital, [female-led] businesses are often unable to scale at the same pace as those led by men. This not only affects the financial success of individual entrepreneurs but also limits the overall economic impact that women in business could have,” she wrote.
“Studies have shown that female-led startups often deliver higher returns on investment than male-led ones, yet the biases within the investment community prevent these opportunities from being fully realised,” she added.
Proud supporters of the UN’s Global Compact
It’s an issue close to our heart, which is why Leyton is a proud signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, an initiative that recognises gender equality as imperative for achieving a sustainable future. This UN initiative also acts as a roadmap for delivering responsible business practices – a roadmap that we’ve fully embraced.
Last year, we made a year-long commitment to improving gender equality, which saw us working with the UN on their Target Gender Equality program, leading to our signing of the Women’s Empower Principles (WEPs) – a set of seven principles to guide businesses on how to promote gender equality in both the wider community and the workplace.
Since then we’ve been busy ensuring that we’re doing everything we can to deliver on gender equality internally, as well as helping to facilitate a wider discussion within the business sector at groundbreaking events like Women in New Energy.
The importance of male allyship
Brian Graham, Managing Director of Leyton UK, has recently spoken about the vital importance of male allyship in helping to achieve gender equality:
“Male allyship plays a crucial role in advancing gender equality. By actively addressing biases and supporting the progression of women into leadership roles, male allies have the power to challenge stereotypes, advocate for equal opportunities, and foster inclusive environments,” he said.
“Crucially, this allyship should not be confined to supporting women but must also extend to all gender identities. By creating a culture that embraces diversity in all its forms, male allies can help build workplaces where everyone can thrive,” he added.
Promoting gender equality at Leyton UK
To help foster a diverse and inclusive environment, we’ve created a series of initiatives designed to help women thrive in their careers, including formally established mentorship and coaching, skills development training, leadership development programs and family-friendly policies such as enhanced maternity pay.
We also host a regular podcast, Life at Leyton, which highlights the wonderful people who work here while hosting career-related discussions that explore the team’s unique perspectives on important diversity and inclusion topics like how to empower women to succeed in male-dominated environments, life as a working mum, how to navigate identity and learn to accept and celebrate yourself and the transition from academia into the world of work.
We know that we’ve still got a long way to go, but we’re proud that we’ve created an environment where women can, and do, succeed in traditionally male-dominated roles like sales development and consultancy, a department which is powered by experts from STEM backgrounds but boasts a rare 60/40 split in favour of women – all thanks to the dedicated effort from within the business to champion diversity and promote equal opportunity.
Are you interested in a career at Leyton? Discover how to empower your career.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
