Arcadis congratulated student Jenny Hou on receiving an Arcadis’ Women in Engineering scholarship in partnership with the University of NSW. The scholarship program provides financial support to Jenny as she completes her engineering studies with the university.
“Congratulations Jenny Hou on receiving the scholarship. Arcadis is very pleased to offer the three-year scholarship as a practical way to support and encourage more women to consider engineering. It is also pleasing to see a growing number of women interested in pursuing engineering," said Greg Steele, CEO Australia, Arcadis.
An initiative to drive diversity
The Women in Engineering Scholarship is part of a program where Arcadis is actively supporting changes to drive stronger diversity in the engineering sector. Arcadis is a signatory and participant in the industry-wide Male Champions of Change initiative, where it publicly reports on targets and the percentage of women in senior leadership positions.
UNSW note that traditionally women have been under-represented in engineering. However, more companies and universities are recognizing the importance of a balanced approach to challenges and the value of diversity. UNSW Engineering has above-average female enrollments at 23% (the national average is closer to 17%) and has set a goal of boosting female enrollments to 30% by 2020.
“It’s no secret that our industry has a long way to go on gender diversity. Arcadis has actively been on a diversity and inclusion journey for the last four years, and a common theme we keep hearing from our managers is that they find it hard to meet the gender targets we’ve set because there is a limited pipeline of women studying engineering at university,” says Jacob Grech, Human Resources Director at Arcadis Australia Pacific.
“We all need to work together to make a difference. The Women in Engineering Scholarship is a great way to provide practical support and builds off our existing relationship with UNSW through our Graduate Program."
More than just financial support
Jacob explains that the program attracted him because it wasn't exclusively about financial support. “Arcadis is intimately involved through mentoring opportunities, sharing experiences through speakers, and by offering work placements. The initiative is a wonderfully holistic approach to sponsoring," says Jacob.
Encouraging diversity through the Arcadis scholarship doesn't just benefit recipients, but Arcadis itself. “An inclusive workforce means we get the best people for the job, and better results for us and our clients,” continues Jacob. “Diversity of thought while we’re brainstorming on projects or problems for our clients means we are more innovative, more creative and can deliver a solution that’s more robust.”
Join talented women at Arcadis
Arcadis is committed to increasing the gender balance in their workforce, to support and encourage women’s active participation in their projects. If you want to be part of such an inclusive company, search and apply for your next career move.
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.