Did you know that currently just one in four people working in Core STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) related roles today in the UK is a female? This means there is a pool of undiscovered STEM talent that EDF Energy as an industry is keen to make contact with!
To support the above objective, as part of EDF Energy Hartlepool power station offers a range of events with the aim of changing the perception of STEM subjects and address the reasons girls are being put off. One such young lady who took part in such an event is Megan Dixon.
Megan studies at Kings Academy in Middlesbrough and in November 2017, when Megan was a Year 9 pupil, she was given the opportunity to attend the annual ‘Girls Powering Nation’ event at EDF Energy at Hartlepool power station, ran in conjunction with Tees Valley Combined Authority.
The girls participated in a guided site tour of the power plant followed by a series of activities where they worked together to create and design a range of different products. They also heard inspirational talks from women who have successful careers in STEM areas.
This event triggered an interest in engineering with Megan, since which time she has taken part in a range of engineering works experience placements, before contacting the power station in April 2019 to see if she could arrange placement at the station.
Megan shared “I really enjoyed my time at the power station. It helped me understand more about the different types of engineering jobs that are available. The biggest benefit to me was the time talking to the people who had already been through the apprenticeship scheme, they helped me understand what I would need to do to be successful and confirmed for me that this is something I want to try and achieve. I want to thank everyone who took time to talk to me, explaining their role and answering my questions.”
Nicola Crane, Station Apprentice Coordinator, who had supported the ‘Girls Powering Nation event in 2017 was only too pleased to arrange a placement at the station on Megan’s behalf. Nicola said “the Maintenance Teams at Hartlepool were delighted to host Megan for a two days’ work placement. Megan showed great enthusiasm from the start and had the correct attitude to pursue a career within a STEM environment. It was a pleasure to have her in the workplace and she was very confident and eager to learn – We hope that she gained a lot from this opportunity and wish her well in the future.” “Well done Megan”.
The next Girls Powering Nation event is scheduled for November 2019 – more details to follow in September.
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