Last week’s SPARC Career’s Connections event saw over 120 girls from secondary schools across Pembrokeshire join industry professionals at the Bridge Innovation Centre in Pembroke Dock to explore career opportunities in renewable energy, construction, engineering and maritime industries.
Hosted by the SPARC Alliance as part of British Science Week, the day kicked off with SPARC Powering Futures Live. The students heard from industry partners Blue Gem Wind, RWE, Port of Milford Haven, Svitzer and Carnival UK who delivered mission statements and surprising facts about their sectors, before working in teams to tackle a range of questions about careers in energy, engineering and maritime industries. After a closely contested final quiz round, the winning team was made up of students from Haverfordwest High School and Ysgol Harri Tudur. This team were an excellent example of collaborative practice in action!
The quiz was followed by an interactive Careers Connections session, supported by over 30 professionals from energy and construction sector. From engineering and welding to project management and environmental science, attendees had the chance to explore a range of career pathways and understand valuable skills.
Lisa Ladd, Ysgol Caer Elen’s SPARC practitioner, said:
“The Career Connection Day was a fantastic opportunity for our students to learn more about careers in engineering and renewable energy. Meeting industry professionals helped them understand the different pathways available and inspired them to consider future opportunities within STEM.”
Students who attended the event commented:
“It was great to meet professionals working in the industry and learn more about what they do day-to-day.”
“Such a great experience to meet new people and discover all the opportunities with different companies and the SPARC programme.”
“I really enjoyed hearing about the different roles within engineering and how people got into their careers.”
Why does this work matter?
Despite progress, women remain underrepresented in STEM careers with only 26% of the UK STEM workforce being women (WISE, 2023). With this current rate of change, equal representation in the STEM workforce would not be reached until 2070 (STEM Women, 2023).
With the UK’s low-carbon energy workforce set to grow by nearly 500,000 jobs by 2030 (UK Government, 2022), initiatives like SPARC play a critical role in ensuring young women have the knowledge and confidence to pursue these careers and level the playing field.
“With growing interest in low carbon energy, the SPARC Alliance will continue to build connections between young women and industry, ensuring that Wales’ future workforce is diverse, skilled and ready to take on the challenges of a changing world”, commented Hayley Williams, Pembrokeshire College, SPARC Co Lead.
For further information about the SPARC Alliance and future events, please contact: hayleyw@pembrokeshire.ac.uk
Follow us on Facebook: SPARC Alliance
