Greetings!
Welcome to this months newsletter.
The WES annual conference
is getting closer and the day looks set to be an exciting one, for more details and to register please visit the conference website. Don't forget that the WES AGM follows on from the conference on the 7th October, please come along and find out what has been happening and the plans for the future and if you would like to get involved we would be delighted to hear from you.
If you have any events or stories that you would like to share with the WES Office please let us know.
The WES e-news team
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Central Cluster Visit to the Great Central Railway
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in May, members of the Central Cluster enjoyed a visit to the Leicestershire Great Central Railway. After looking round the Loughborough GCR station (and meeting Fireman Sam!), we travelled on the steam train to Leicester North. Here we watched the engine being moved to the other end of the carriages, before riding back to Quorn for a pub lunch. Again, this was a great opportunity to meet up with other technical women.
Another event is planned for later in the year. If any other WES members would like to be involved, please the WES office, who will put you in contact with Vicki, the cluster representative.
Cluster members in the photo (L-R) - Lisa Hawkins, Ariadne Tampion, Moira Biggins, Vicki Cripps, Sarah Curtis. | |
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Research Project requires your help
Sophie Kolatchew is a student at Kingston University, London, undertaking her Masters
in Occupational Psychology. She is currently working on her thesis in regards to the career barriers faced by female engineers, and would really appreciate your help in finding participants to complete her questionnaire. The aim of the research is to identify prominent barriers for women in engineering, whether they are internal or external barriers, and how prevalent they are in the private vs. public sector.
The questionnaire should only take about ten minutes to complete, and all responses are anonymous and confidential.
To take part in the survey click here | |
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Skirts and Spanners
Electronic Engineering student Ruby Lee starts a new blog.
Ruby is currently half way through her degree in Electronic Engineering at Surrey University. As part of the course she is undertaking a year in industry which will involve her working as a junior engineer at a company in London starting this August. She has been searching the web for some advice as to how to dress, what to expect, and some reassuring advice from women who have been into industry. She has yet to find such a resource and any resources that she has found have been discouraging and written by men regarding dress code. Having felt uninspired by this lack of advice on the internet she decided to start an account of her experiences in the form of a blog. In the internet led culture blogging has become a very accessible tool. I hope that women will stumble upon my blog, contribute and share their experiences to help women in a similar situation to myself to be encouraged and inspired.
To read her blog click here | |
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| Elizabeth Johnson Memorial Lecture
28th September 2011 at 6pm
The Institute of Physics warmly invites you to this year's Elizabeth Johnson Memorial Lecture, to be given by Mary Curnock Cook, OBE, Chief Executive of UCAS, on 28th September 2011 from 6pm in the Rutherford Theatre, Institute of Physics, 76 Portland Place, London. There will be a drinks reception following the lecture. Mary has been invited to speak
about the future of higher education and how vocational skills may impact on this.
Please email us if you would like us to reserve you
a place at what will be an interesting and informative evening, with much debate and discussion | |
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UK to take on the World in Engineering Skills
Eleven talented young men and women have been selected to take part in a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent the UK at WorldSkills London 2011 in engineering skills. They were chosen to represent the UK after a tough four day selection competition earlier this month. They will now step up their training to make sure that they are ready to compete at WorldSkills.
WorldSkills London 2011, which takes place at ExCeL from 5-8 October 2011, will be the world's largest international skills competition with young people from across the globe competing to be the 'best of the best'. At the competition, 1000 competitors from over 50 countries will compete in 46 skill areas over four exciting days. The event will also offer visitors impartial advice and guidance on careers and apprenticeships. At WorldSkills London 2011, the UK will compete in 37 skills ranging from Mobile Robotics, Electrical Installations and Graphic Design to Cooking, Hairdressing and Landscape Gardening.
Skills Minister John Hayes said: "Those representing the UK at WorldSkills will play a hugely important role in bringing the value of vocational skills and practical learning to national attention. I offer my warm support and congratulations to every member of the team.
"To support the ambitions of young people everywhere in our country, we have created a record number of apprenticeships, and we are building the best skills training system we've ever had."
During WorldSkills London 2011, Team UK will compete against the best from all over the world and they will be judged on their level of skill, accuracy and speed in completing projects. From now until WorldSkills London 2011 in October, each competitor will be in training supported by a dedicated Training Manager. Their training will focus on preparing them for the WorldSkills environment by acclimatising them to working under time pressure and in competitive conditions. To give people throughout the country the opportunity to develop the skills that build rewarding careers, the Government is creating the biggest and best apprenticeships programme in our country's history. Apprenticeships are now available in around 200 job roles, from information technology to horticulture.
Racheal Carr, Representing the UK in the Manufacturing Team Challenge said: "It is a huge honour to have been selected to represent the UK at WorldSkills London 2011. I hope this opportunity will allow us to showcase how apprenticeships can lead to successful employment and career opportunities. I know the next few months will be tough as we will be in training for the event and I really hope the whole of the country gets behind Team UK for WorldSkills London 2011 like they do our sporting teams!"
The members of Team UK have been and will continue to be supported in their training by Edge, the independent education foundation, the Premier Supporter of Squad and Team UK and Brathay Trust, the Premier Training and Development Partner of Squad and Team UK. Mastercam and Mori Seiki also sponsor Team UK in CNC Milling and Turning. Festo also sponsors Team UK in Mechatronics.
Coriolis International also sponsors Team UK in refrigeration.
For a full list of Team UK members visit the website | |
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WES South Coast Meetup
Join South Coast WES members and friends for the first tech women get together on the South Coast.
Leave the car behind and let the train take the strain
Wednesday 28 September 2011, from: 7:30pm
Il Palio 2, Station Approach, Brockenhurst in the heart of the New Forest
Please register on Eventbrite to reserve a place at this popular Italian restaurant, right next to the station. | | |
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WES needs your help
WES is run by a Council of volunteers and we currently have a number of vacancies. We are currently looking for
Event co-ordinators in the local regions and
Someone to organise and run two Technical leaders events each year.
If you can help or know someone who can particularly in the above roles please contact the WES Office.
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Construction Knowledge Workshop
The next Construction Knowledge circle workshop will be on the 27th September at EWAs offices in Runcorn
You can book your place online | |
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And finally....
If you have any articles you would like to have featured please contact the WES office by clicking here. We'd love to hear your stories of your schools outreach activities or ideas to inpsire young people that we can share across our community.
Don't forget to forward on our e-newsletter to your friends and contacts, male and female and help to inpsire more young women to consider engineering and technology as a career.
With good wishes
the e-News team. |
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| Getting There
A key part of the WES strategy is connecting women across different parts of the profession and our annual conference is a primary way of doing this. We are delighted to be holding Getting There in association with the women's Transportation seminar
We will have technical breakfast briefings, invited and submitted talks as well as two leadership workshops. A symposium on engaging girls in engineering is also being planned. Register now for the early bird rate and make sure to book your hotel soon to get good rates!
WES is delighted to welcome Thoughtworks on board as a core partner. Thoughtworks are a software consultancy; we create software solutions to help solve our clients' biggest and most pressing business problems. This means we work continually with clients to find out what their problems are through face to face conversation and ongoing contact, usually at their offices. We design innovative solutions and combine our code writing skills, inquisitive minds and creativity to deliver awesome software and champion software excellence."
Thoughtworks are taking an active role in scoping the Set to Lead project and are actively engaged in developing a student event in London for the Autumn. Keep your eyes peeled for further news and find out more on the WES website!
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WES AGM 2011
Venue: IET, 2 Savoy Place, London WC2R 0BL
The 2011 AGM of WES will take place at 17:30 on Friday 7 October 2011 at the IET, 2 Savoy Place, London. Location and directions information via the IET website. Further AGM information on the WES website. | |
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Women and Manual Trades DIY WORKSHOPS: 2011
Women and Manual Trades run one-day Saturday courses in Carpentry, Plumbing, Electrics, Painting and Decorating, and Tiling. Each workshop is taught by a professional tradeswoman and is designed to give you the confidence to carry out basic repairs. They'll give you a general understanding of your home systems and the insight to know when to call a professional.
All the courses run from 10am - 4pm at their building near Old Street, central London
For more details and to book go to their website.
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Quick Links
WAMT's Construction Diversity Expo at Londons's Guildhall on 12th September 2011
More info
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Related Topics
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| The race has begun - 8,000 tonnes of steel vs. 50 cyclists
Glasgow, United Kingdom: The huge mid section of the UK's first Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier will leave BAE Systems' shipyard at Govan today, starting a 600 mile journey by sea to Rosyth, where the aircraft carrier will be assembled. Over 50 cyclists also left the yard this morning, tracing the path of Lower Block 03 on land in an attempt to 'beat the block' to its final destination on the Forth and raise money for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.
Minister for International Security Strategy, Gerald Howarth, said: "This marks an important milestone - the start of the assembly phase of the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier. Excellent progress is being made on this project and it will form the cornerstone of the Royal Navy's Future Force 2020. It is clear evidence that the UK shipbuilding industry has the expertise and experience to deliver a project of this size and complexity, delivering our next generation of Carrier Strike capability."
Steven Carroll, Queen Elizabeth Class Project Director at BAE Systems, said: "There's a real sense of pride in the yard and across the Carrier Alliance today. Watching Lower Block 03 be towed down the Clyde gives us chance to reflect on the huge achievements of the past two years since we cut the first steel on this first section.
"The Beat the Block challenge gives everyone a fun way to get involved and it's fantastic to see so many cyclists from across the Carrier Alliance taking part, helping to raise money for a charity that supports the men and women of our armed forces. This is a tough challenge and I encourage members of the public to show your support when you see the team cycle past."
Since moving Lower Block 03 out of the shipbuilding hall at Govan two weeks ago, workers at BAE Systems have worked tirelessly to complete final preparations, including sea fastening, to ensure the block is ready for her departure from the Clyde. Over the next five days, the block will travel around the north coast of Scotland before arriving into Rosyth on Sunday 21 August.
A week later, on Monday 29 August, the team will undertake a complex operation to sink the submersible barge, allowing the hull section to enter into the water for the first time. Lower Block 03 will then be manoeuvred into position in the dry dock where approximately 350 Govan-based employees will rejoin the block as they work in partnership with employees at Babcock to complete the outfitting and assembly phase on this section of the ship.
The 'Beat the Block' challenge aims to raise over £10,000 for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity. The challenge will test the fitness and endurance of the cyclists as they travel across the north of Scotland, stopping only for overnight respite at Fort William, Elgin, Peterhead and St Andrews. Their target is to arrive in Roysth ahead of the block on Saturday 20 August.
As a member of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, BAE Systems is working in partnership with Babcock, Thales and the Ministry of Defence to deliver the nation's flagships. With advanced construction underway at six shipyards across the UK, the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier programme is sustaining thousands of skilled jobs throughout industry.
Each 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier will provide the armed forces with a four acre military operating base which can be deployed worldwide. The vessels will be versatile enough to be used for operations ranging from supporting war efforts to providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief. The QE Class will be the centre piece of Britain's military capability and will routinely operate 12 of the carrier variant Joint Strike Fighter jets, allowing for unparalleled interoperability with allied forces.
To track and follow the block's journey to Rosyth, visit the website following the main tug: Eraclea (IMO: 9499656)
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MentorSET needs YOU!
Although we have been very successful in recruiting new Mentors, especially from our recent workshops on mentoring and leadership, we still need more mentors. In particular, we'd like to enlist ladies in the middle of their Engineering careers who would be prepared to offer a little support for those at an earlier stage. This is a great opportunity to encourage more women to advance and stay in the Engineering profession! It isn't a huge commitment, and can increase your confidence. We offer guidance and training too.
For more information about what's involved, please go to the MentorSET website.
For training and workshops on mentoring visit the website
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| WES would like to thank all of its sponsors and supporters
and in particular, the IET, Transport for London, National Grid and Arup
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If you would like to sponsor our newsletter please click here for more information |
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