ABG champions women in engineering with new outreach and skills programmes

Print Solutions

A B Graphic International (ABG) is continuing to strengthen its commitment to improving gender representation within engineering through a combination of targeted outreach initiatives, early years engagement programmes and internal development pathways designed to support women across the business.

Speaking at the CIPD Annual Conference on 5 November, ABG’s head of HR, Karen Robinson, outlined the scale of the challenge, noting that only 16.9% of engineers in the UK are women, with the figure even lower within manufacturing. She explained that female students typically begin to lose interest in STEM between years 5 and 11, meaning that intervention must start long before career decisions are made. 'We cannot rely on the talent pipeline to fix itself,’ she told delegates. 'Girls are disengaging from STEM subjects far too early. If we want a more diverse future workforce, we have to create visible pathways, accessible training opportunities and meaningful interactions that build confidence from a young age.’

To support early engagement, ABG works closely with HETA (Humberside Engineering Training Association), whose outreach programme delivers more than 100 school activities each year and reaches over 3000 young people across primary, secondary and further education. HETA provides hands-on activities, careers guidance and employability skills, helping students explore engineering in an accessible and engaging way. ABG builds on this by hosting open days and welcoming students into its production environment to see engineering in practice.

On 13 November, the company hosted a Women in Engineering Open Day, inviting 20 female students aged 14 to 16 from two local secondary schools. The event provided students with the opportunity to hear from ABG’s female colleagues about their career journeys, take part in a factory tour and speak directly with engineers to better understand the industry and its potential career paths. Karen said the event offered 'the type of engagement that genuinely changes perceptions’, adding that by meeting women thriving in engineering roles, students can more easily picture themselves in similar positions.

In addition to outreach, the company is investing in the development of its own employees through the 'Elevate’ programme, an internal initiative designed to upskill female colleagues and provide structured pathways into technical roles. The year long programme begins with hands-on experience and one to one coaching, then progresses to task repetition and electrical fundamentals training. Participants build a personalised development plan and receive regular progress reviews and on the job mentoring with the aim of working independently in the field by the end of the 12 months. Karen explained that Elevate is about removing barriers and giving women the confidence and technical grounding needed to pursue engineering careers they may not have previously considered.

Looking ahead, ABG plans to broaden the scope of Elevate beyond electrical engineering to include additional functions, strengthen its partnerships with schools and expand its involvement in HETA led initiatives. The business also intends to run more Women in Engineering open days, recognising the impact of giving female students real world insights into engineering and manufacturing. 'The momentum is building,’ Karen said. 'But to truly shift the dial, we must keep widening access, deepening partnerships and ensuring that women, whether students or colleagues, see engineering as a welcoming, exciting and achievable career.’