WiN UK launches five-year strategy

Five workstreams will support delivery of the nuclear industry’s gender balance ambitions.

Today, 3 August, we are launching a five-year strategy to support the UK nuclear industry to meet its commitments in the Nuclear Sector Deal and the Nuclear Gender Roadmap.

WiN UK Strategy 2021 to 2026

The new strategy outlines five workstreams and six associated near-term actions; which will support WiN UK’s three key objectives of attraction, retention, and dialogue; these are:

• Holding nuclear sector companies and supply chains accountable for gender diversity

Action 1. CEO Engagement

• Delivering sector-wide initiatives to support attraction, retention, and dialogue

Action 2. Development of mentoring frameworks through cross-industry collaboration

Action 3. Developing female leaders

• Measures and data analytics

Action 4. Gender balance and pay gap analysis

• Engaging with the younger generation to promote nuclear and support career progression

Action 5. Nuclear on the curriculum

• Targeting future nuclear growth opportunities for gender equality

Action 6. Nuclear growth opportunities

WiN UK is one of over 30 international chapters under the umbrella of Women in Nuclear Global. Formed in 2014, WiN UK’s mission is to address the industry’s gender balance in all types of roles and at all levels, improving the representation of women in leadership, engaging across the industry, with government and the public on nuclear issues, as well as supporting the industry with tools and information.

We have also developed an Industry Charter that allows companies to sign up and commit their own individual company pledge to show their commitment to diversity across the nuclear sector. Over 60 Signatory Companies have done so thus far.

Lynsey Valentine, President of WiN UK, commented:

“The nuclear industry is entering an era of unprecedented opportunity, across both the defence and civil sectors. So, we are incredibly excited to be launching our five-year strategy. It outlines our clear, long-term plan to support the industry to deliver on its commitments on gender balance. We recognise that we can’t do this alone and will be working in close collaboration with the Nuclear Skills Strategy Group (NSSG) and the Nuclear Institute’s Young Generation Network.”

Kirsty Hewitson, Strategy Director WiN UK, said:

“This five-year strategy clearly defines WiN UK’s focus areas and key targets to enable successful delivery of both WiN UK’s objectives and the Nuclear Sector Deal ambitions. These will only be achieved by collective and cohesive work from across the WiN UK network of volunteers and the broader nuclear community. We recognise that gender is just one aspect of diversity, and we welcome the opportunity to work with others that share the vision of a truly diverse and inclusive nuclear sector.”

David Peattie, CEO of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Patron of WiN UK, said:

“WiN UK are now set to push ahead with focussed activities to improve gender balance in our industry, helping organisations explore how they can address barriers to women joining their teams and progressing their careers.  As a CEO, I am accountable for gender balance within my own organisation, and I encourage other leaders across the industry to engage with WiN UK and the great work they do.”

Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

“I am passionate about increasing the representation of women in the nuclear sector. Talented women will not only prove critical in building existing projects, but also harnessing new and exciting advanced nuclear technology to help us create reliable low-carbon energy needed to reach net zero.

“I am delighted to support the Women in Nuclear’s Strategic Plan and encourage the industry to redouble its efforts to meet our target of women accounting for 40% of the nuclear workforce by 2030 to ensure the UK’s energy sector is fit for the future.”

WiN UK has established a series of regional teams and developed a forward strategy to meet the 2017 Nuclear Sector Deal’s gender target, namely 40% of the UK nuclear workforce to be female by 2030 (for context, in 2020 the UK nuclear workforce was 20% female). In December 2019, further gender targets were set out in the Gender Roadmap which was created in partnership with the Nuclear Sector Skills Group (NSSG) with the aim of achieving the following milestones:

• 50% of all those starting apprenticeships to be female by 2021
• 30% of executives to be female by 2030 (currently 13% in 2020)
• 40% of the UK nuclear workforce being female by 2030 (currently 20% in 2020)

Support for Women in Nuclear UK has grown at an impressive rate and now stands at over 1000 members with over 60 companies across the sector signing up to our Industry Charter.