CLOSING THE GENDER GAP | TRAINING & RECRUITMENT However, career development programmes alone


cannot solve gender imbalance. Organisations must also address practical barriers that affect retention. Assystem has introduced several measures aimed at improving workplace support. For example, including enhancements to maternity provision when the company increased its maternity leave entitlement from 13 weeks to 26 weeks on full pay, which aims to support employees during one of the most significant transitions in working life. For Proctor, these types of changes reflect a broader philosophy. “What we’re trying to do is remove barriers for women in the workplace,” she says, emphasising the importance of recognising intersectionality. “It’s not just about being a woman,” she explains. “It


may be a woman who has a particular ethnicity, who has caring responsibilities or other circumstances.” This focus on the whole individual is consistent with


Proctor’s wider belief that organisations must create environments where people can bring their full selves to work.


A global challenge As a multinational company, many of Assystem’s initiatives, including the IncredibleWomen programme, operate globally while local teams adapt activities to regional circumstances. “There are different nuances in different countries,”


says Proctor, noting that knowledge sharing across geographies has become an important part of the company’s approach. “We’re always interested in best practice and learning from each other,” she says. The organisation also promotes international mobility opportunities, encouraging employees to build careers across different countries and business units. By showcasing women who have moved internationally or progressed through different functions, Assystem also seeks to demonstrate the breadth of opportunities available within the business. Again, visibility plays a central role.


Proctor comments: “Everybody has a backstory. By sharing those stories, including some of the challenges and vulnerabilities, it helps people see what might be possible for themselves.” In the UK, the nuclear sector has set an ambition to achieve 40% female representation by 2030, and while progress has been made, the target remains challenging. Assystem currently reports female representation of around 30%, broadly reflecting the wider industry picture. Achieving that 40% goal will therefore require coordinated action across education, industry and government. This is one reason why the company has been a long-term sponsor of the UK Parliament’s Women and Work All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), which supports research and policy discussions aimed at improving opportunities for women across the economy. As Proctor says, issues such as female participation in physics and mathematics cannot be solved by employers alone: “We all have a collective responsibility. But there are some things that require systemic change.” For the nuclear industry, the sector’s future growth depends on attracting and retaining a diverse workforce capable of delivering new build programmes, life extension projects, decommissioning activities and emerging technologies. But while there are undoubtedly challenges, there are also opportunities as the competition for STEM talent intensifies. Organisations that successfully widen participation will inevitably gain access to a larger and more diverse talent pool. The issue for STEM and nuclear, Proctor argues, is not


simply about fairness though. It is about ensuring that women have what she describes as a “50/50 stake in the future of nuclear and engineering”. If the industry is to meet its workforce requirements over the coming decades, that ambition to ensure a future stake for women is open and available may well prove to be essential. ■


Assystem operates a global programme called “IncredibleWomen”. In the UK, the initiative is delivered through a programme known as “EMPOWHER”. Source: Dmitry Lobanov/Shutterstock


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