The Great Yarmouth-based Women in Energy Networking Group’s (WEN) – set up to support, nurture and develop females in an industry where 96.3% of offshore workers are men – joined the Powerful Women’s networking event at Westminster.
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.
It has also connected with similar groups from Scotland to Australia, Norwich to Calgary.
Chair Emma Bishop, director of professional services organisation Optem, and Kim Dexter, WEN founder and steering group member and director of Dexters Recruitment, attended the House of Lords reception to network with senior members of the energy industry after an invitation from Powerful Women founder Baroness Verma. It is a government initiative looking at increasing the number of women on boards.
Even though more women are taking leading energy roles – Amber Rudd was promoted to Secretary of State for Energy after the General Election and Deirdre Michie has just taken over as chief executive of Oil & Gas UK, with more than 30-years’ experience 30 years in senior UK and global upstream and downstream management positions – the energy industry is still hugely male-dominated.
The all-energy coastline of Norfolk and Suffolk, with 50 years’ gas heritage, nuclear and a fast-developing offshore wind industry, has low female representation. Statistics from the East of England Energy Group show just 19% of members are female, with 1% representing women at director level.
WEN aims to increase this by offering support, advice and mentoring.
Other WEN activities include motivational support structures and activities, profile raising and awareness of women leaders in the local energy industry, support for the advancement and development of females in the industry in leadership and technical skills and encouragement for females into the industry.