Supporting female STEM talent

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The STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) industries have made great strides in bringing women into the workforce, with the likes of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) launching the “25by2025 campaign”.

It seeks a voluntary commitment from its members to increase the number of women in senior positions and under-represented areas by either 25 percent or to a minimum representation of 25 percent by 2025.

However, more needs to be done not just for gender equality but for equitable societies. For instance, statistics from the Ministry of Education of Singapore showed that only 25-35 percent of the total intake for engineering and computing degrees consist of females in Singapore.

To make a difference for tomorrow, STEM companies should double down on efforts to keep women engaged. Rolls-Royce continuously recognises the contributions of female employees and since 2018, has raised female participation on the board of directors by nearly 10 percent.

Innovative technology can attract more women into the workforce. With data scientists driving operational efficiencies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation are changing the game for the manufacturing segment. Advancements in Industry 4.0 can further encourage STEM interest in young students, and technology companies can nurture them from the point of recruitment and provide talent development and mentoring opportunities.

Welcoming the new generation

Rolls-Royce has partnered with the Singapore Girl Guides since 2014 to launch the Science Investigator Badge, and inspire girls to take an interest in science and technology. The Generation Aerospace programme, kick-started in 2015, strives to excite youth – regardless of gender – by bringing to life a future shaped by tomorrow’s technologies and solutions.

In April 2019, Rolls-Royce ran Catalyst Hack, an all-female hackathon in London, to design a concept for a gaming app to inspire the next generation of girls in STEM. Rolls-Royce is a platinum sponsor of the Girls in Tech programme in Singapore, where female engineers receive advice with mentors.

The company also engages young talents in STEM through play and theatrical methods, in an initiative known as STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics). With the incorporation of arts in science-based activities, young girls are able to make connections between concepts and problem solving in exciting ways while discovering their nascent interest in these subjects.

Cultivating an inclusive workplace environment

Today in Singapore, 20 percent of Rolls-Royce’s senior managers are women, and the projection in the coming years is only set to grow. To cascade this message, Rolls-Royce formed a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) committee this year with male leaders standing shoulder to shoulder with their female counterparts to make this happen. There are plans to replicate the Gender Diversity Network in the UK as a support system for staff in Singapore.

Inclusivity is key to talent attraction and retention, and our D&I strategy provides the necessary support. Rolls-Royce have flexible working arrangements currently in place to encourage new mothers back to work, and support working mothers. Since January 2019, the paid maternity leave entitlement was extended from four to six months, with childcare leave entitlement standardised for both Singapore citizens and non-citizens.

Rolls-Royce encourages an open, collaborative culture where employees feel comfortable to share their problems and have support finding solutions. Staff and managers undergo ongoing training on key women’s issues to ensure they are aware of any unconscious bias, and learn to communicate and work inclusively. Additionally, Rolls-Royce is looking at gender pay parity globally, in recognition that any disparity should be addressed.

Collaborating to reach a common goal

Rolls-Royce acknowledges the value of including partnerships in D&I strategies, both through educational opportunities for female students and workplace empowerment.

Our University Technology Centre strategy establishes co-creative platforms between industry and academia. In Singapore, Rolls-Royce is partnering with the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to create the Rolls-Royce@NTU Corp Lab (with more than 300 top-level talents involved). With the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), a government statutory board supporting scientific research, Rolls-Royce has a Smart Manufacturing Joint Lab to accelerate innovation in Factory of the Future technologies. Through these platforms, female students and researchers work on projects that make a real impact on the industry and win recognition.

In 2019, Rolls-Royce had the opportunity to work with the International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA) to host IAWA Connects, where women in the aviation industry can network and inspire each other to continue to innovate, transform and revolutionise the industry. In conjunction with IAWA Connects, Rolls-Royce also partnered with organisations like Boeing to host a STEM event for female students – putting together a day for students to hear and engage with female role models in the aerospace industry to learn more about their career experiences and how to succeed as a female leader.

These are just some examples of initiatives along the entire pathway to ensure women enter and stay in engineering. It is important to have an ecosystem encouraging more women to take an interest in STEM, feel encouraged to join the workforce to develop their skills holistically, and who are groomed to take on leadership roles and ensure a virtuous circle. With that, Rolls-Royce hopes to inspire partners and other industry peers to improve gender parity and in the long run, equality.

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Rolls-Royce develops and delivers complex power and propulsion solutions for safety-critical applications in the air, at sea and on land.









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