CATALYST Issue 3 | Page 73

Catalyst | Last Word L Tech She Can In the UK, only 23% of people working in STEM careers are female. Further research by PwC reveals just over a quarter of females would consider a career in tech, compared to 62% of men. Only 3% of women would consider it their first choice of career. The Tech She Can Charter, founded by Sheridan Ash, innovation lead at PwC, who established and leads the Women in Technology initiative, has been developed to tackle the factors behind the shortfall of women in tech. “Waiting until women are entering work is too late,” she said. “We need to take co-ordinated action to start inspiring girls while they are still at school.” Many young women feel that STEM subjects aren’t promoted to them at school, and that they lack the appropriate information or role models to make it a viable option later in life. Ash added: “By working together, we can reach more females at an earlier stage of their lives. Promoting visible and relatable role models is a huge part of this, as it’s hard for girls to aspire to something they can’t see. “Technology is open to all and we ned to get that message across.” Sign up via: pwc.co.uk/who-we-are/women-in-technology/tech-she-can-charter.html Time to Change Employer Pledge It’s often said that one in four people of working age in the UK will suffer from mental ill health within the space of a year. In all likelihood, the number is much larger, with many people suffering in silence. While society is catching up to the need to talk about wellbeing at work, more needs to be done. Social movement Time to Change has been calling on employers to pledge their support in addressing mental health stigma in the workplace. More than 1,000 organisations have joined the movement, with businesses such as Bloomberg, Waitrose and ITV confirming their support. Alexander Mann Solutions is proud to have signed up to the cause, and to focus on eliminating the stigma that surrounds mental health in the workplace. The launch of our mental health and wellbeing plan includes: • posting personal stories on internal communications platforms • l  eadership forums • v  ideos from the CEO • h aving network champions at all levels of the organisation to support colleagues • training for managers and senior leadership on mental health at work • providing information about mental health and directing employees to helpful online resources. Issue 3 - 2019 73