UK-based Corporate Risk Associates was founded in 2000 and specialises in managing risk across safety critical industries including nuclear, oil and gas, power, process and transport, and from the beginning was keen to encourage more women to choose safety and risk management as a career, CEO Jasbir Sidhu said.

It has actively promoted the uptake of STEM subjects to undergraduates through university partnerships and internships with Imperial College London and Manchester University, with other partnerships currently in development.

The provision of resources and training has enabled staff to quickly and effectively progress through the business and the company has implemented changes in the workplace aimed at providing greater flexibility for all staff.

The push across all these areas seems to have paid off with 20% of the business headcount filled with female STEM employees.

“The most recent set of figures show that only 13% of people employed in STEM occupations across the UK are women and, whilst this has started to somewhat creep up over the last few years, it’s nowhere near where it should be,” Sidhu said.

“As a business we have worked very hard – right from our inception – to make sure we work with universities to create a pipeline to the workplace for more STEM graduates.

“Continuing to partner with universities and colleges across the country is vital to us in making sure we continue to support bursary, intern and work opportunities for more STEM graduates.”

“Working in this industry is challenging and there’s a lot to learn in some very complex industries, but I love that,” recent graduate Sophie Bold said.

“I love the idea of working in an industry that is growing and across safety critical sectors where risk and safety management are a pre-requisite. “

She was recently involved in a ‘Physics at Work’ workshops ran by The Institute of Physics for year eight students at a London-based girls school.

“We need to make science and engineering exciting, show how both these disciplines fit into everyday life and how, by taking these subjects, you can become part of an exciting industry that is growing rapidly and where career opportunities really are limitless,” Bold said.