CASE STUDY
Sponsoring Female Talent through Apprenticeship Programmes
Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind, established its own Wind Turbine Technician Apprenticeship programme in 2017, in Grimsby.
The initial cohort consisted of four white males, however, as the programme became more established, and with buy-in from senior leadership, a new approach to recruitment was initiated with a sharp focus on diversity.
The first step was to ensure gender neutrality in job adverts – across both wording and imagery - followed by attendance at careers fairs which saw engagement with over 5,000 students in one week. The team also attended WIME (Women into Manufacturing and Engineering) reaching out directly to females interested in STEM careers.
Image Credit: Orsted
A diverse panel from across the organisation reviewed over 600 applications and assessment day tasks, before final interviews. The diversity of the recruitment panel gave a fresh perspective and ensured candidates could see themselves represented in the company.
The result was the most diverse and gender-balanced group of apprentices to date. Based on last year’s data, the team are continuing to encourage women into the sector and now also targeting disadvantaged schools.
Image Credit: Orsted
Image Credit: Orsted
