Inspiring the workforce of the future. ( Abbey Award )

This case study examines how British Gas is working to increase the diversity of its 9000 strong engineering workforce.

Since the initiative's inception in April 2003, the aim has been to increase ethnic minority and female engineers to 10% of the overall engineering workforce by 2010.

To achieve this, British Gas has built and implemented a strategy around 4 key objectives:

1. Promoting its company as an employer of choice to school children aged 13 – 16 in the field of engineering
2. Generating interest in careers with British Gas and attracting applications from under represented groups and communities, such as women
3. Developing a network of engineering ambassadors willing and capable of promoting job opportunities within the company and within engineering
4. Raising the awareness of the importance of a diverse workforce within the company, and across the entire energy and utility skills industrial sector

This has been carried out by a mix of work in education,

• Supporting education events, such as career days and science days
• Advertising in gender specific mediums, in the defined age group, such as Sugar and Bliss
• Undertaking engineering workshops (curriculum based) with young females
• Forming partnerships with schools and colleges, to promote engineering careers to women
• Working with engineering and other educational partnerships to help young women make informed decisions about their careers

The programme is supported by higher management, and consists of a dedicated team, who with internal support bring engineering to life in schools and colleges.

Aims

The motivation of the programme is to make a long-term impact on the diversity of recruitment, particularly of Apprentices, by targeting school children who are about to make choices for their future careers and job prospects. The percentage overall of Apprentices recruited, year on year, over the three years previous to 2003 was over 98% white and male. This does not reflect the customer base of the company, nor the UK working population.

Business case

The demographics of the country are changing: an aging workforce, more women in the work place and an increasing number of people from a BAME background. Whilst its engineering workforce remains predominately male, the company acknowledge that it is missing out on quality employees. To ensure the profitability of the company, it acknowledges that it must increase representation from more diverse groups.

Management endorsement

The management have shown commitment to raising the awareness of the importance of a diverse workforce within the company and across the entire energy and utility skills industrial sector.

Support for the initial scheme came from the then CEO, and the current operational management are committed to the continuation of the scheme; they provide support at schools and events and through the engineering ambassador scheme providing engineers who can enthuse young people. They also provide role models for filming, and advertising to reach out to young females.

Senior Management supports the scheme by attending networking events, to promote women in engineering, such as the Women in Plumbing Conference. They have also been instrumental in developing a greater understanding of Equality and Diversity issues amongst its staff and management populations, by holding diversity workshops.

Innovation

Innovative aspects of the work include;

• A curriculum based series of workshops it designed and developed, to involve and enthuse girls about engineering. These use drama, paper based games and an oversized jigsaw puzzle to improve communication skills, encourage team working, enterprise and problem solving

• Girl centred freebies, such as, lip gloss and emery boards to encourage the initial attention of females

• Holding women’s only open days, to let girls of all ages have a taster of engineering

• Invited schools to its Training Centres (650+ students) to give them an insight into its engineering business

• Developed a ‘games console’ style interactive challenge played on a laptop

• Developed an award winning schools and communities section of its website

 

• Trialled new advertising in targeted media (Bliss and Sugar magazines) featuring real life case studies of our engineers in order to get a positive engineering career message to tens of thousands of teenage girls

Employee engagement

Employees provide invaluable role models to attract female engineers. They act as ambassadors to motivate young women to consider a non-typical career and show a positive side to females in engineering.

They also host visitors at the Training Centres from schools and women’s open days. They feature prominently in numerous publications, DVD’s and television appearances - both national and regional - promoting British Gas’ drive for a more diverse workforce.

Employees have utilised their parents, in news publications and on its website, where they express their delight at their sons and daughters choosing British Gas as an employer.

Communication

Internally

Education

Impact

• The company has promoted a positive engineering and career opportunity message to an estimated mix of 750,000 young, female and under-represented people via a creative blend of events, school visits, advertising and interactive media / games

• Developed sound relationships and recruitment ties, with varied women’s groups

• Attracted additional engineering job applications from under-presented groups, which has yielded over 2,000 extra applications from these groups

• Increased the percentage of women from 1% to 1.3% in the engineering workforce in just 3 years

• More women applicants at the front end, which has led to an increase in actual female Apprentice appointments, from 3.59% to 13.59%

• Independent research has shown that after the delivery of the ‘It’s a Gas’ workshops, 52% of girls would consider a career in engineering

• Award from the Institute of Plumbing and Heating for Promotion of women plumbers

Learning

• Teachers have commented on how the children are more motivated after a workshop visit

• Engineers involved in the promotion of diversity have found it very helpful in progressing their careers, and aided their general understanding of diversity

• The feedback on the diversity workshops has been extremely positive with obvious changes in the mix of the workforce.

• Adaptation to the recruitment process to provide a level playing field, free of all gender bias

• Changes in the fact that the company now recruit for attitude, rather than technical skills

• Commitment from all levels to continuing with the women’s open days into 2008, given the success so far

Moving into new and innovative ways, via the web to reach females, such as Blive and Times 100 ( career sites for young people)