Wilo UK is to host a webinar leading the conversation on how female engineers, tradespeople, and CEOs are transforming the water industry and other male dominated sectors.
Taking place on 12 November at 2pm, the webinar will be the penultimate in a series hosted by Wilo UK and will discuss why it’s important for women to get into trade, engineering, and senior level roles, as well as the obstacles they face and the changes driving the industry forward. It will also offer guests the chance to ask questions and expert advice.
2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, yet due to COVID-19 gender pay gap reporting has been suspended for this year and there are reports that the pandemic has been disastrous for women’s economic progress, according to The Guardian.
Women currently account for just 4.4% of all tradespeople, with professions including electricians, plumbers and construction workers, according to Direct Line for Business. However, this is considerably higher than the 2.1% representation a decade ago, offering some hope the industry is making steps in the right direction.
The webinar will provide an important and much needed discussion on driving change within these industries, with guest speakers including: Stefanie Hirschmann, SVP Group Procurement & Supply Chain Management at Wilo Group, Hattie Hasan MBE, Founder of Stopcocks Group Ltd & National Register of Tradeswomen CIC, Charly Young, Co-Founder & CEO of The Girls’ Network, and Becky Bates, Owner of BB Plumbing.
Lee Tebbatt, Managing Director of Wilo UK, said: “At Wilo, we want to set a benchmark for supporting women in the industry and there is a huge drive internally to support this. At Wilo Group 37% of the workforce is female and we have received the Total Equality Award for promoting equal opportunities within the workplace.
“The diverse panel has a range of experience and knowledge to share both how we can support women in the industry now, as well as encourage a new generation of female engineers, construction workers and tradespeople through guidance in schools and mentorship schemes. This is a topic that should be at the forefront of the industry and we look forward to hosting this important discussion.”
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