Education
Published: February 22, 2024 | Updated: 22nd February 2024
Maritime UK Solent are seeking women in STEM – science, technology, engineering and maths – who live or work on the Isle of Wight to take part in their upcoming Maritime Roadshow for Girls.
Organised in partnership with Maritime UK, the event takes place on Tuesday 5th March at Cowes Enterprise College.
Volunteers will engage in speed networking sessions among interactive activities to encourage female pupils aged 11 to 14 to consider future job opportunities in the world of STEM.
Anne-Marie Mountifield, chair of MUK Solent, said: “We’re keen to gather female professionals from local maritime industries to join us at the roadshow.
“They’ll be inspiring girls, early in their secondary education, to consider some of the exciting STEM-related careers in the sector.
“By sharing your own work experiences, you can open doors for their future success.”
The event comes as part of National Careers Week, which runs from 4th to 9th March and aims to provide careers guidance and resources to students looking towards their futures.
It also follows the publication of the Rose Review 2023, which revealed that 150,000 female-led businesses were founded in 2022 – twice as many as in 2018 – and almost a quarter of those belonged to young women aged 16 to 25.
But the report also called for even more support for female entrepreneurship in the UK moving forward.
“We want to take further steps to increase the number of girls pursuing careers in STEM or in maritime”, Anne-Marie added.
“Tackling the current gender gap will not only help address the skills gap in the STEM workforce, but also support the Solent’s economic growth and job creation.
“You can really make a difference to young people’s lives, so please get in touch.”
MUK Solent has enlisted the help of Rachel Kitley, principal of Cowes Enterprise College and winner of the Maritime Legacy Award at last year’s MUK Solent Awards, to deliver the event.
“We’re dedicated to our maritime heritage in Cowes”, said Rachel.
“We offer a curriculum that gives young people the opportunity to learn skills relevant to the industry, working closely with local employers and exploring future careers.
“We’re pleased to welcome the Maritime Roadshow to the college to shine a spotlight on the STEM job options available to students.
“It’s so important that we give girls in particular an insight into STEM-based careers to allow them to have the confidence and interest to make important decisions about their future work in STEM industries.”
To get the best of Hampshire Biz News straight to your inbox every week, sign up for our newsletter!
