The Nuclear Sector Deal sets out the gender target to achieve 40% women in the nuclear industry by 2030, and 50% women apprenticeship starts by 2021.
Sizewell C established a Gender Balance Network in 2019 to focus on the issue and support more women to join the male-dominated nuclear industry, signing up to the Nuclear Sector Deal underlines this commitment.
Caroline Powell, chair of the Sizewell C Gender Balance network, said: “Sizewell C gives us an exciting opportunity to develop a team which reflects society - balanced. Underpinning this positive ethos with firm sector targets is an important step in our journey towards gender balance.”
The project now has a process for reporting on gender targets every six months to a Gender Board, with senior leadership review sessions held each quarter to maintain focus and drive actions to yield results.
The active network has a busy schedule of events which bring sharp focus to the issue and, in addition to the Nuclear Sector Deal targets, has committed to:
- Review recruitment and retention policies to ensure they support the gender balance aims by, for example, including unconscious bias training for the interview panel.
- Ensure all SZC networks such as the Working Parents Network, have a gender balance.
- Diversity amongst public speakers for the project.
- Adopt lessons learnt from Hinkley Point C, the sister project for Sizewell C, for example sharing success stories of women in leadership positions on the project.
- Share more case studies on the variety of roles within the industry and how they are being carried out by women.
