NISSAN has set out a series of commitments to encourage more women to consider careers in engineering and technology fields as part of a new UK Government-backed initiative, ‘Your Life’.
Working alongside educators, industry and Government, Nissan has pledged to do more to promote science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects to young people in the UK, with a view to attracting the next generation of talent into industry, particularly women.
Operating three world-class facilities in the UK focusing on design, R&D and manufacturing, Nissan in the UK will undertake a variety of actions to actively influence how women and young girls perceive engineering careers and the subject choices or vocational pathways that lead to them.
Starting immediately, Nissan’s UK operations have committed to:
• Visit more than 500 local schools in the next 18 months to promote STEM subjects and careers in engineering.
• Ensure that 15% of candidates recruited for its industrial training placements, and 20% of candidates for its graduate programme within its R&D function are women.
• Sponsor five female A-level students at college in 2014 and 2015.
Dave Moss, Vice President, Vehicle Design and Development, NTCE said: “Attracting the brightest and best into Nissan is vital to maintaining the quality of our workforce but it is also important that we help young people make informed decisions when choosing their pathways through education.
“Young people truly are the future of our business and we are delighted to be making these promises that will ultimately help to open the minds of young men and young women across the UK to the possibility of a rewarding career in engineering.”
Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said: “Rising numbers of people are taking maths and physics A levels – but it is still very low. Too many teenagers, especially girls, don’t realise that maths and physics get you everywhere. They have the highest earnings and can open doors to careers in business, journalism, technology, engineering – in fact anything you can probably think of.
“That is why I’m so pleased to see some of the UK’s top businesses and organisations showing their commitment by signing the ‘Your Life’ call to action and committing to recruit more science and maths students. Together we can ensure young people have the skills they need to succeed in life and help the UK compete on a global scale.”