Nuclear businesses step forward to support scheme creating female senior leaders

UK nuclear businesses have shown their support for a ground-breaking scheme to help women into senior leadership positions launched by Women in Nuclear UK (WiN UK).

A number of forward-thinking industry leaders have offered to create a non-executive director (NED) space at their top table in a ground-breaking ‘matching’ scheme. A competitive process was held over the summer to select about 10 female candidates who will now, after bespoke training, see their skills matched with a business’s needs.

Ivan Baldwin, WiN UK President said: “We know that women are sorely under-represented at Board level in the nuclear industry.

“This scheme will be a mutually beneficial development opportunity for both the participating companies and the successful candidates we place, increasing valuable diversity of thought.”

Participating companies are WiN UK Charter signatories which have pledged their commitment to diversity across the nuclear sector and range in terms of size and complexity; from micro companies, SMEs to multi-nationals.

The industrial artificial intelligence expert Ada Mode, is just one of the companies that has signed up to the scheme.

Gareth Jones, MD at Ada Mode, said: ‘Ada Mode is delighted to support this scheme and play a role in fostering a more balanced representation in senior positions in the Nuclear Sector. We have long championed a diverse workforce and leadership team, recognising this is a vital step in sustaining the industry’s resurgence.’

The initiative supports WiN UK’s key target – to increase the proportion of women in senior management to 30% by 2030 (currently the industry average is 13%).

The pilot project will run for a year and demonstrate a successful recruitment, training and mentoring leadership programme and develop future NED mentors.

For more information email pip.hatt@nda.gov.uk or call 07714 657664