AVEVA’s Clare Bye, Executive Vice President of HR, collected the award from HRH The Princess Royal, having beaten off strong competition from Shell and Wood Plc. AVEVA also sponsored the Apprenticeship Programme Award that was won by Troup Bywater + Anders.
Clare Bye said of the win, ‘This is a fantastic achievement for a company that is in the early days of its WISE membership. We know that recruitment in general is more challenging, additional to this is attracting women into technical roles. AVEVA has a vision to raise the number of women in technical roles from 20% to 30% by 2020.
‘We still have so much to achieve and our vision is not something that we can deliver quickly. It involves making changes in practices and mindsets; as well as a shift in culture. Our involvement with WISE will support us with best practice and the opportunity to learn from other STEM organisations facing similar challenges. Winning the WISE Employer of the Year award shows we are heading in the right direction.’
James Kidd, CEO at AVEVA added, ‘It is well documented that a company that embraces diversity and inclusion and has a good gender balance across roles and levels will be more successful. This is why I personally signed up to the WISE Ten Steps programme. It is important that global businesses, such as AVEVA, support initiatives like WISE, so that a real step change can be made to bring gender parity into the workplace. I am delighted that we won the WISE Employer of the Year award.’
Nominees of the Employer of the Year award had to demonstrate progress in gender balance at all levels and above industry averages. The judges were looking for best practice which others could replicate to make similar progress in their own organisation.
Commenting on the sponsorship of the WISE Apprenticeship Programme award, Clare Bye said ‘We have made a solid commitment to early careers through both our apprenticeship and graduate schemes. It was an inspiring experience to be able to judge the Apprenticeship Programme award and meet so many likeminded organisations who are developing talent from the ground up, and understand the challenges that all STEM employers face. Congratulations Troup Bywater + Anders on a most deserving win’.
AVEVA has already undertaken a number of initiatives in relation to its involvement with WISE and has signed up a number of STEM ambassadors within its organisation. It is also in the process of holding internal workshops to raise awareness of WISE, including the WISE TEN Steps and unconscious bias training.
To find out more about AVEVA as an employer visit http://www.aveva.com/en/About/Working_for_AVEVA/
About WISE
WISE enables and energises people in business, industry and education to increase the participation, contribution and success of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). WISE members inspire girls to choose maths, physics and computing. WISE members attract, retain, develop and progress female talent in their companies. Our mission - gender parity in the UK's scientific, technology and engineering workforce - from classroom to boardroom.
Connect with AVEVA:
@avevagroup
www.linkedin.com/company/avevagroup