Female Students Learn about Energy Industry Opportunities

Young women at Great Yarmouth College were shown the wide range of career opportunities in the energy industry on behind-the-scenes visits to companies working in oil & gas and renewables.

Roles from engineering and data processing to human resources and administration were showcased at the event organised by Women in Energy Networking Group (WEN) for Great Yarmouth College students and staff.

In the Introduction to the Energy Industry for college students, they met successful female industry professionals when they visited AID Rope Access, Gardline Geo Services and 3sun with WEN members.

The companies gave presentations took the students and staff on tours of their businesses.

Emma Bishop, chair of the Great Yarmouth-based WEN, said: “We plan and organise these events to demonstrate to female students the breadth of opportunities for careers across the whole spectrum of the industry – from engineering and technician roles, in research, logistics and servicing those roles in administration. By meeting females in the male-dominated industry, they can see the possibilities.

“They also realise that they don’t have to be studying science or engineering-based subjects to make energy their future.”

“We hope the young women we work with use these events as the fantastic networking and fact-finding opportunities they are and discover how that they can enter interesting, challenging and rewarding careers. We also aim to show how transferable skills are in the industry.”

Megan Platten, who is studying a level 3 BTEC in IT at Great Yarmouth College, said meeting women working in IT at Gardline had opened her eyes to opportunities she had never considered.

“Today I have seen so much which is possible that I didn’t know existed.”

The Women in Energy Networking Group’s (WEN) was set up to support, nurture and develop females in an industry where 96.3% of offshore workers are men.

In its first year it has organised events, worked with colleges and schools to show female students opportunities across the oil & gas, renewables and nuclear sectors and extensively promoted its work across the industry.