Iberdrola has announced that it developing initiatives to encourage women to take up careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the countries in which it is active.
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 US, Mexico, Brazil, and the UK. 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 US, 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 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 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 in traditionally male sectors. For example it established The School of Electricians in August 2019 with the aim of encouraging female insertion in this field.
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.
