The electricity company develops training programmes for women in these disciplines in the countries where it is present: Spain, the United States, Mexico, Brazil and the United Kingdom.
Iberdrola is committed to promoting the presence of women in careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). For this reason, the electricity company is developing initiatives in this regard in all countries in which it has a presence. The aim is to advance towards real equality of opportunity. With these projects and plans, it aims to be a benchmark for girls who will be scientists, engineers and researchers in the future.
The company believes that training in professions historically held by men is essential for women to be able to work wherever they wish. The idea is that over time they will occupy positions of responsibility which, until now, have been occupied mainly by men.
Currently, less than 20% of digital professional profiles are women. Figures from the PISA report show that, in Spain, while more than half of university students are women, less than 8% choose STEM-related degrees. A higher level of studies leads to a higher probability of getting a job and, in all cases, the female employment rate is lower than the male rate. In all STEM vocational studies, the proportion of men is higher than that of women.
Iberdrola develops training programmes, forums, and educational initiatives in Spain, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, and the United Kingdom. In this way, we inspire other companies and our value chain to perceive the challenges faced by women in the fields of science and technology and to undertake similar initiatives.
Through its Foundation in Spain, together with the Madrid Municipal Transport Company (EMT) and the Comillas Pontifical University, the STEM Women Chair in Sustainability and Mobility was launched. The company seeks to promote women in STEM vocations in the field of Vocational Training for sustainable mobility, where the female presence does not exceed 3.6%.
In the United States, through its foundation, Iberdrola supports the training of electricians through scholarships in the CMP Lineworker Technology Programme to train specialists, prioritising the inclusion of young women in the energy sector. In 2018, it formed WomENergy, a business resource group (BRG) aimed at attracting, retaining, developing and promoting the advancement of female talent.
AVANGRID also sponsors Eureka! External link, opens in new window., a five-year educational programme for girls from low-income and minority families and those who would be the first college students in their families – in partnership with Girls Inc. a programme for young women interested in STEM careers. The ultimate goal is to engage 100 girls, 20 in each grade through their senior year of high school.
In Mexico, the Impulso STEM External link, opens in new window. programme, developed by Iberdrola Mexico together with the Institute of Renewable Energies (IER) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and the Technological University of the Central Valleys of Oaxaca (UTVCO), seeks to promote the study of engineering among Oaxacan youth, especially women.
In Brazil, Neoenergía has made a strong commitment in recent years: to promote the inclusion of young women External link, opens in new window. in traditionally male sectors. For example, The School of Electricians, which in August 2019 saw the light of day, with the aim of encouraging female insertion in this field; or the major agreement where the Brazilian subsidiary became the first company to exclusively support the women’s football team in Brazil. The agreement is valid until 2025 and provides support for the national club competition, which is now called Brasileirão Femenino Neoenergia.
The UK subsidiary ScottishPower, for its part, is a member of POWERful Women, an initiative to advance gender diversity within the country’s energy sector. It also collaborates with the University of Forth Valley College in the design of an online programme that provides schools with worksheets, explanatory videos, creative activities and other useful training resources so that students can receive the best preparation in STEM. More than 50 schools in Scotland are boosting STEM education through this programme.
The whole of society, from administrations to civil society and business, is committed to the Sustainable Development Goals set out in the 2030 Agenda.
