Royal Academy funds SheEngineer 30% Club - Ebunoluwa Sessou Culled from Vanguard Newspaper December 15th, 2022

As part of efforts to build a voluntary network of professional engineering institutions, engineering businesses and organizations in the aviation, automotive and energy sectors committed to achieving a 30 percent minimum gender balance within their workforce by 2030, Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria organized a SheEngineer 30% Club Mentors Virtual Training Workshop for Mentors.

Aimed at using a 30 by 30 strategy (a commitment to allocate 30 percent positions to women in engineering, the workshop SheEngineer 30 percent Club, is a Royal Academy of Engineering UK funded Initiative.

In her speech, President of APWEN Engr. Dr Elizabeth Eterigho FNSE, FNSChE congratulate the grant awardee, Engr. Dr. Felicia Agubata FNSE, for securing the project under the phase 4 African Catalyst grant from the Royal Academy of engineering, UK.

Speaking on the need for effective mentors and mentees relationship, Eterigho lamented that, shortage of young engineers in filling up the spaces/vacancies in the engineering workforce could be a major socio-economic crisis in Nigeria if attention is not given to this sector.

“In the universities, there are some departments with none or few female engineer(s)as lecturer, yet the department turns out female engineering students on a yearly basis. It therefore, becomes necessary for total implementation of the APWEN diversity and inclusion policy which was an outcome from the first engagement with the Royal Academy.

“One of the missions of APWEN is to increase the number of practicing female engineers at all levels and to encourage women to achieve professional excellence as engineers and leaders.

“APWEN as a catalyst for sustainability of female engineers in their profession is therefore excited for this timely intervention by the Royal Academy in sponsoring the SheEngineer 30% club which is believed will enhance gender inclusion. I am aware that the work place in focus are aviation, automobile and energy, in Lagos state.

“A critical look at this gap between the older and young engineers within Nigeria revealed that Nigeria has the largest youth bulge which gives concern that needs deliberate efforts to position her youths for continuity in engineering workforce.

“To bridge the gap therefore, and for sustainability, the place and role of mentors via mentoring cannot be overemphasized”, she said.

The Awardee, Engr Felicia Agubata, disclosed that, the project will improve diversity and inclusion in these organizations and drive profitability, productivity, creativity and reduce skill shortage by encouraging more girls to take up engineering courses and careers.

“Strengthen the internal capacity of APWEN to tackle gender inequality in the engineering sector, build up an engineering talent pipeline with the necessary skills to respond to local challenges as well as expand and give more visibility and awareness on the phase 3 project; SheEngineer; Invent It, Build It.

“Influence employers to retain, promote and support talented women and also create positive workplaces through training in equality and diversity issues and support the development and implementation of gender inclusion policies.

“One hundred female engineers will be reached, mentored, and adopted into the club while 300 participants will benefit from various capacity building programmes hosted by the club. Several organizations will be enlisted and certified as “SheEngineer 30 percent Club Certified Organizations”.

“An effective partnership with employers, policy makers and educators to create an inclusive learning environment, develop and adopt diversity and Inclusion policy and provide opportunities for growth through internship and employment creation will promoted with targeted career clinics to develop the capacity of practicing female engineers, women engineers returning back to work through training on leadership, personal branding, developing job strategy and building skill for effective communication and management.

“In order to attain our objectives and provide support for our target beneficiaries, we would be collecting relevant data to help us design the intervention accurately for their benefit and the sustainability of our effort towards promoting gender and inclusion in Nigeria’s engineering sectors”, she said.

One of the speaker, Dr Evi Viza CQP, MCQI, FRSA, who spoke on “Mentoring Skills for Successful Mentoring Engagement”, advised Mentors and Mentees to keep confidences shared among themselves.

Her words: “Spend appropriate time together, follow through on promises to themselves, respect mentors and mentees’ boundaries.

“Admit errors and take responsibility for corrections, compliment the mentoring partners on accomplishments and actions.

“Point out positive traits such as perseverance and integrity in addition to their performance and accomplishments”, she said.

Another speaker, Ugochi Obidiegwu, speaking on Effective Mentoring Skills, said, opined that mentors should possess spoken cues, unspoken cues, patience as part of listening skills.

On communications skills, she said mentors should look for common ground, have mutual respect, be clear, use different methods including videos, quiz, stories, assignments so as to be effective as mentors.

Images of some participants at the online Workshop.