| GLOBAL NUCLEAR


Where all employees can thrive


Initiatives have improved recruitment, retention and career progression for women


titles for gendered language, adding I&D to senior leaders’ performance goals, and incorporating ‘values differences’ as a core competency for all employees.” Other key changes have included more acceptance


of flexible working arrangements, a program to help parents to return to work, unconscious bias training, mentoring of women wishing to develop into leadership roles, and a collaboration with a university on coaching techniques.


Tina adds: “Gender balance and the wider I&D campaign


are now a fundamental part of the language of our business. ‘We live inclusion’ is one of Jacobs’ core values. The business is committed to advancing inclusion and diversity to create an environment where all employees can thrive.” When the U.K.-based charity WISE, which promotes


science careers for women, selected a representative sample of its award winners from the past 20 years, it chose Jacobs Bid Manager Zeb Farooq. Volunteering in his spare time, Zeb plays a prominent


Above left: Tina Bowen


Above right: Zeb Farooq


HOMER SIMPSON, THE WORLD’S BEST known nuclear worker, is not the only reason the industry is stereotyped as having an aging, male-dominated workforce. In common with other science and engineering based


careers, the proportion of women employees lags way behind their share of the population. Globally, less than a third of those employed in scientific research and development are female and, in the U.K., the Women’s Engineering Society has calculated that only 12.37% of engineers are women. But nuclear is becoming more diverse, more quickly than many people realize. And Jacobs is at the forefront of efforts to make this happen. Jacobs established the first industry partnership


with Women in Nuclear (WiN) U.K. in 2019 and the two organizations are working together to achieve gender balance. The nuclear industry has made a commitment to the U.K. government to increase the number its female employees from 22% to 40% by 2030. Tina Bowen, Jacobs Capability and Resourcing Director,


says: “Actions have focused on improving retention and progression of women within the business, as well as continuing to strongly support the long-term development of female talent by STEAM and outreach events, workplace experience opportunities and other support. “Jacobs has continued embedding Inclusion and


Diversity (I&D) into performance metrics and touchpoints across the company – reviewing job descriptions and


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role in a mentoring program to inspire young people from deprived communities to realize their talents and potential. He has organized visits to Jacobs’ nuclear laboratories at Birchwood Park in Warrington for children from inner city schools, giving them a chance to take part in engineering problem-solving tasks, try out virtual reality headsets and learn how to scan metal to ensure it was free from impurities. Zeb says: “There is a lack of accessible role models for


children in areas of high deprivation, so mentoring is vital in raising their aspirations. In particular, young Muslim girls can face a double disadvantage when entering the world of work because of their gender and ethnicity, with those who are also from poorer families facing a triple disadvantage. The best way to overcome this is by teaching young girls to stand up for themselves and not to allow negative stereotypes to hold them back.” The WISE Campaign made Zeb its Man Award Winner


in 2019 and last year he was appointed Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Also active in Jacobs’ WISE group is Jenna Houghton, an electronic control and instrumentation designer who completed an apprenticeship in 2019 and is now working on major projects for Sellafield Ltd. Jenna says: “The nuclear sector is not a male-dominated environment any more and the company is genuinely interested in promoting careers for women. I am absolutely loving it and I am hoping to get a chartership once I have finished my degree.” ■


To learn more: tina.bowen@jacobs.com


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