UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology Annette Williams, Director

1
UK Resource Centre for Women in Science,
Engineering and Technology Annette Williams,
Director

• Creating a centre for women understanding the
  issues
• Women and ICT Creating Global Transformation
  Symposium June 12-15th 2005

2
Strategic Drivers

• Maximising Returns (DTI 2002)
• Roberts Review (DTI 2002)
• Greenfield SET Fair Report (DTI 2002)
• Government Strategy for Women in SET (DTI 2003)
• Science and Innovation Investment Framework
  (2004-2014)

3
Setting the scene

• Overcoming horizontal and vertical segregation in
  the SET labour market, thereby reducing the
  gender pay gap is the key strategic aim of the
  UKRC
• Established in 2004
• Funded for 4 years to 2008 by the Government
  (Office of Science and Technology /Department of
  Trade and Industry)
• Additional funding from the European Social Fund
  Equal programme for a national partnership
  project to 2007

4
JIVE consortium

• Bradford College, Sheffield Hallam, Open and
  Cambridge Universities
• Previous and concurrent initiatives include
• Lets TWIST, JIVE, WITBE, WiSETi
• Funded partners include Athena, WISE, AWISE,
  MentorSET, Daphne Jackson Trust, WITEC

5
Aim

• To increase the participation and position of
  women in science, engineering and technology
  employment across industry, academia and public
  services in the UK

6
Who is the centre for?

• Women - aspiring, returning or working in SET
  professions and related fields where this is high
  under representation of women, such as the Built
  Environment
• Employers industry, research councils, public
  service, Higher and vocational education, careers
  guidance professionals
• Policy makers, Ministers and Government depts
• Media

7
What kind of centre is the UKRC?

• Strategic
• Ensuring that considerations to the specific
  barriers to womens participation in SET are
  given in all related policies and practices, thus
  mainstreaming gender equality and occupational
  segregation issues.
• Commission research and develop products
• Link UK women in SET to the EU women and science
  and desegregation agenda
• Funding disburse grants, bursaries and fund
  projects

8
What kind of centre is the UKRC?

• Delivery
• Mentoring, information services, networking
  events for employers, support activities for
  women returning to SET careers, cultural audits
• Build capacity of other organisations / companies
  to take forward equality in their own practice
• Coordination
• Information, resources, knowledge, best practice
• Women in SET organisations

9
Framework for Action
Information, knowledge, advice funding
10
UKRC and satellites
UK Resource Centre for Women in SET
Scottish centre
Yorkshire and Humber Regional Hub
London office
Welsh centre
South East Regional hub
11
Strengths UKRC bring to the challenge

• The UKRC are leading the UK governments strategy
  for women in SET
• Top level leverage, profile and buy in
• Knowledge and expertise of UK and EU women and
  SET policy and practice agenda
• Roots of the organisation is in direct delivery
  and innovation over the past 20 years
• An innovative holistic model for change
  addressing supply and demand side issues

12
Challenges the UKRC has experienced

• Understanding and meeting stakeholder
  expectations
• Funding organisations/initiatives creates the
  most tension
• Refocusing and profiling the organisation from a
  rapid start up

13

• For further information please see our website
• www.setwomenresource.org.uk