The Women in STEM event coincided with the International Day of Women and Girls in Science – an annual celebration of the vast contributions that women have made, and continue to make, in the Scientific world. 

Working with some of the college’s Principal Ambassadors, Year 10 students from Withernsea High, and Hull’s Kelvin Hall school, visited the East Hull college where they enjoyed a day of activities based on the themes of both Women in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) and ‘Zero Carbon’.

Introduced by the college’s Science Technician, Martin Walker, the event began with a quiz focussing on pioneering women in STEM. This was followed by a talk from Dr Cheryl Walter – a virologist at the University of Hull and lecturer in Biomedical Sciences at the Hull York Medical School.

Within a research career spanning 17 years, Dr Walter spent six years at the University of Leeds – home to one of the biggest virology research hubs in the UK – exploring both emerging and established human viral pathogens. Latterly, she has continued to focus on virus-host interactions and antiviral drug repurposing.

With contemporary talk of Coronaviruses being at the forefront of people’s minds, and her current work involved in the development of point of care testing devices, Dr Walter’s speech was both interesting and relevant. The students enjoyed learning about her educational journey, her career experiences and the skills she continues to develop.

A carousel of practical activities about carbon and its importance in all strands of Science allowed participants to get hands-on with their own experiments. Focussing on carbon in chemical reactions, from respiration to combustion, these practicals helped to shine a light on the ever-increasing drive towards a Zero Carbon future.

The day’s activities were rounded off with an inspirational keynote speech delivered by Dr Kirsty Clode, former site manager at BP’s Saltend Chemical Park and current Chair of Women into Manufacturing and Engineering (WiME).

The students listened intently as Dr Clode shared her experiences of a career that has taken her around the world as an Operations and Safety Leader. More recently, through her role as Chair of WiME - a Humber based programme led by industry to inspire girls and women to consider careers in the manufacturing and engineering sector, Dr Clode continues to champion careers in STEM industries for women across the Humber region and beyond.

Martin Walker, Science Technician at Wilberforce College, said: “Our Women in STEM day aimed not only to recognise past and current achievements by women in these vital areas, but also to engage and inspire the next generation of female STEM leaders.

We hope this day was not only a positive and enjoyable experience for all but may have also inspired some of our young audience to develop a future in STEM careers.”

Abbie East, Withernsea High School’s Second in Science Faculty, added: “On my route to becoming a Science teacher, I was inspired by a number of men and women throughout my education. Listening to Martin’s enthusiasm, and seeing the response to him from our students, reaffirmed that the push to engage more women in Science doesn’t exclusively have to come from women – it’s everyone’s responsibility.

The fact that both guest speakers had close links to our local area was a real inspiration to our students, who enjoyed learning about their respective career progressions and their continuing successes.

Our students were an absolute credit to themselves and to the school. I would like to thank Martin and the Principal Ambassadors at Wilberforce for hosting such an inspiring event.”  

Reflecting on her involvement on the day, Dr Cheryl Walter said: “It was a real pleasure speaking to so many young women interested in STEM subjects. I delivered a session talking about my own experience at school at their age, what I went onto study and what skills I have accumulated over the years, both in formal education and work experiences. Importantly, I also spoke about the challenges I overcame and how learning truly is lifelong.

There is a desperate need for young people, especially women, to consider STEM careers in all sectors. They bring with them a unique modern perspective, creativity and new ideas, which are all essential in STEM.”

Alongside the focus on Women in STEM, the event also provided an opportunity to explore the concept of Zero Carbon and the part being played at businesses and developing industries across the Humber region towards helping the government achieve its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

With developments such as the soon-to-be-built Yorkshire Energy Park near Hedon set to help achieve this on a local level, the focus on clean green energy remains a key element of local STEM-related projects. 

Dr Kirsty Clode added: “There is so much activity happening in the Humber at this time to reduce our carbon footprint - from developing the wind power industry, to carbon capture and storage, and hydrogen production. Having worked in the chemicals sector in the Humber for many years, I know how important decarbonisation is to the continued success of our region and the manufacturing and engineering sectors in particular.

This is why I was delighted to take part in the recent Women in STEM event at Wilberforce College. In my experience diverse teams build better products, create a positive working environment and develop innovative solutions to problems. However, it's difficult to be what you can't see and I think it's important that girls meet women already working in these industries and understand what they do and how they got their jobs.

I hope my talk inspired the girls to believe that they can be part of the amazing industries we have here in the Humber. The Women into Manufacturing and Engineering programme partners with many local companies to showcase the fantastic careers available.”

WiME is an initiative by Green Port Hull, supported by North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, East Riding and Hull City Councils, to encourage women to choose a career in these industries.

There is currently a high demand across the Humber region for people with STEM qualifications which are useful in both the manufacturing and engineering industries. At present, manufacturing contributes 16% of employment in the area compared with 10% for England as a whole – with these numbers set to grow even further thanks to continuing investment in renewable energy and STEM-related projects to address climate change. 

Regular WiME events, such as Careers Fairs, help to showcase opportunities and introduce young people to inspirational women. The next such opportunities will take place on June 21^st at the Baths Hall in Scunthorpe, and closer to home at the Guildhall in Hull on 4^th October.

Both events are open to the public between 4.30pm and 6.30pm and are ideally suited to girls attending school or college, female students in Higher Education or women currently employed in other sectors who wish to make a career change, or are looking to return to work after a career break.

The Careers Fairs will provide an opportunity for attendees to meet women from manufacturing and engineering backgrounds and talk to them about their work - learning what training and qualifications will be needed to access their future careers of choice. These events will also provide the perfect platform to share information about current job vacancies and apprenticeship opportunities.

For more information about these and other up-coming WiME events, please visit the Green Port Hull website: https://greenporthull.co.uk/business-support-job-seekers/whats-on

ABOVE: Year 10 pupils from Withernsea High School enjoyed an inspirational day at Wilberforce College. [Photo Credit: Abbie East]

ABOVE and BELOW: The girls got to grips with a range of hands-on experiments. [Photo Credit: Abbie East]