Description
Advancing Women in ITEC project is a partnership of key players: employers, professional bodies, and organisations working towards a more equal representation and involvement of women in science, engineering and technology. The lead partner is Portia. The project is funded in part from the European Social Fund, under the Equal Programme. The main goal of Equal is to help disadvantaged groups to participate more fully in the labour market.
The general aim of Equalitec is to develop and test a range of intervention tools to assist in the recruitment, retention and advancement of women in ITEC; addressing in particular the needs of women at higher skills levels who have taken a career break, or have experienced a period of unemployment and find the return to the workplace difficult.
The motivation for the project covers several core issues contributing to the problem of the under-representation of women in ITEC. These include: the persistently low numbers of women choosing to study and work in ITEC; the loss of mid-career women from the ITEC labour force; the anticipated demand for higher level ITEC skills; the role of ITEC as a driver for change in the demand for skills outside the ITEC sector; and the obstacles faced by women returning to the workplace after a career break.
Aims
The partnership will develop more fully the complex interplay between cultural, organisational and personal factors for women returning to the labor market after career breaks.
Objectives
The DP will develop an integrated perspective on the problem, empowering the target groups addressing their needs, and mainstreaming to the widest policy audience, in the three specific areas below:
Reintegration & Progression
- Deliver training modules for women returners and career women, for professional and personal development
- Develop Placement Scheme for women returners
- Develop ITEC Mentoring Circles scheme for women returners and female students
- Deliver research on career issues faced by women returners, involving target groups and all key players 1.5 National Award: Innovative Women in ITEC
Changing Cultures: Influencing Policy
- 3 Diversity Forum in ITEC (with 30 employers, 10 learned societies, 10 women’s groups, 2 trade unions) 2.2 Awareness raising and mainstreaming best practice
- Knowledge and Skills for a Digital Future Conference (150 employers, women's groups, trade unions, recruitment unions) awareness raising and mainstreaming best practice.
Recruitment
- Develop ITEC careers portal for women, focused on women returners,older women, female students and career development support
- Develop ITEC career guides for women in HE.
- Develop work-shadowing scheme with employers for female students
- Develop successful career return paths for women after a period of unemployment
Target Groups
Women
