Two directors of a Brighouse firm have been appointed ambassadors for the national Females in Factories campaign.
Lynn Mowbray and Angela Bailey, directors of Brighouse-based engineering firm, Koso Kent Introl, will work alongside other UK industry representatives from various manufacturing organisations to visit their local secondary schools to become role models and showcase some of the fantastic career opportunities available in the industry.
Run by Women in Manufacturing, in partnership with Works Management Magazine, the new initiative aims to inspire the next generation of females in UK manufacturing.
Lynn Mowbray is operations director at KKI and has worked her way through the industry ranks. She left school at the age of 16 and started her career in purchasing before progressing to management. She gained a Master’s degree while working and studying.
At KKI, Lynn manages more than 80 people and is responsible for the execution of orders from sales right through to shipment to the customer, including purchasing, planning, projects and manufacturing.
She said: “Before choosing their GCSEs, I would urge teenage girls to explore the diverse opportunities that the sector offers.
“For example, an engineering apprenticeship offers the opportunity to go into any industry and gain the right experience and life skills – not forgetting the financial rewards that can be achieved in this highly regarded sector.”
Angela is KKI’s health, safety, quality and environment director. She was always keen on science from an early age and achieved a chemistry degree and a PhD.
Angela started at KKI as a temp and progressed through the business, excelling in buying, quality and special project roles, before being appointed to the board of directors. She is keen for more senior businesswomen to step forward so that young females have someone to aspire to.
Angela said: “There are so many interesting manufacturing roles out there. It doesn’t mean you are going to be working on a machine. You could be an engineer, go into design, IT, purchasing or quality. The opportunities are endless.
“Young women need to take inspiration from those females already working in manufacturing, who can address those common misconceptions of manufacturing being just for men.”
Only 22% of employees in the advanced manufacturing and engineering sector are female. Just 9% are engineers and only 5% are in management.
Women in Manufacturing is a not-for-profit organisation set up to support, attract and retain women in the UK manufacturing sector.
By forging links and promoting the activities of industry partners, schools and educational organisations across the UK, the organisation is striving to attain substantial growth and increased breadth of skills and knowledge in the manufacturing talent pool, by actively encouraging diversity.
