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INWED 2023: How We're Inspiring Women Engineers of the Future

Now in its 10th year, International Women in Engineering Day (marked on 23 June) shines a spotlight on female talent across the industry and plays an important role in encouraging more young women and girls to take up careers in engineering.

We are proud to be playing our part in encouraging more diversity at our own Team and within the industry and here are just some of the initiatives we're involved with and the steps we're taking.

Encouraging more women and girls into F1 and motorsport-related industries is a key cornerstone of our Accelerate 25 programme. First launched in December 2020, our ambition is for at least 25% of all new employees at our Team to come from under-represented groups, in each year up to and including 2025.

Accelerate 25:

Our partnership with the Stemettes, an award-winning social enterprise who aim to inspire and support girls, young women and non-binary people into STEM subjects, falls into this bracket too. Through our partnership, we welcome hundreds of budding engineers to our factory for panel events with our Team members centred around key engineering themes. Our upcoming 'Ask, Grow, Network' event will give attendees an exciting opportunity to learn from our female engineers who will hopefully prove to be inspirational role models for the young attendees.

Similarly, the Mulberry STEM Academy is an extra-curricular provision for learning, inspiration, and innovation for students from the ages of 7 to 18, developed by the Team in partnership with the Mulberry Schools Trust, to encourage passion and aptitude for STEM subjects. In March 2023, we were on hand to congratulate 107 Mulberry Academy students for graduating from their year-long programme at a special ceremony in London and earlier this month, members of our Team delivered a virtual careers conference to students from Mulberry Trust schools.

More recently, we have partnered with the Sutton Trust, who work to tackle social mobility issues by improving access to high quality education and employment opportunities, focusing on high performing students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Our inaugural Career Insights Day with the Sutton Trust welcomed students enrolled on their ‘The Pathways to Engineering’ course for a day of learning and networking with our Team members.

Our Women’s Network:

Bringing together women from across all departments in our Team, our internal Women’s Network was created in July 2022 and have met with increasing regularity across the last 12 months. From an initial get-to-know you networking event, the group have expanded out, and their ‘Role Model’ series of talks have allowed members to share stories and ask questions of their team-mates. Guests from outside of our Team – including Susie Wolff last year and Dr Deidre Anderson to celebrate International Women’s Day earlier this year- have also brought valuable insight and encouragement from external sources as well.

Girls on Track:

The Girls on Track programme is a joint initiative between the FIA and Motorsport UK, and our Team have been delighted to help support the regular events that take place up and down the country encouraging female participation in motorsport from a young age. From hosting a Girls on Track UK STEM day at our factory in 2022 to celebrate INWED, to taking a show car and replica racewear to a Schools event in Bath in early 2023, we’re proud to be able to continue to support a programme that has provided a range of opportunities within our sport for everyone, regardless of interests, gender and race since 2019.

Community Outreach:

In June 2023, in conjunction with the Silverstone Interactive Museum, we welcomed 40 local Girl Guides and Brownies to the museum to discover more about the world of motorsport.

Given free range of the exhibition space, the girls were able to explore engines, brakes and tyres of a Formula One car, see close up our drivers’ suits and helmets, and learn about prominent women racing drivers in history.

In September 2022, we were in attendance with a stand, show car and sim racing play seat at the ACS International Schools STEAM event at Thorpe Park, where 10,000 state school pupils had the chance to learn about STEAM subjects and encourage them to pursue careers in these sectors.

F1 in Schools

F1 in Schools seeks to change the perception of STEM subjects by creating a fun and entertaining learning environment for children aged 9 to 19. The international competition for school children sees groups from around the world design, manufacture, and race miniature cars. We have proudly supported F1 in Schools for more than ten years and are delighted to be sponsoring the coveted ‘Fastest Car Award’ at this year’s World Finals which are due to be held in Singapore.