My mother has always been a story teller. Be it fiction, pirates, friendship or whatever they have a story on every topic.
But the story that stuck with me and continues to inspire me the most is his own story – his foray into engineering.
As the only female student at an engineering university in India in the late sixties, my mother broke the stereotype that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects were a male-only field, and that was the reason for her passion. was from STEM, the scientific disciplines, allowed him to transcend these boundaries academically and professionally and put him on the threshold of the technological revolution.
In the 50 years since, women in science have been relatively mainstream.
Last month I was delighted to attend a reception held in Downing Street to meet the young women and men celebrating the launch of the Future Talent programme.
This program is launched by the British Beauty Council to expose secondary school students to the wide range of opportunities available in the beauty industry.
The scheme emphasizes STEM education and career development, covering scientific subjects ranging from materials science studies in the world of cosmetics to data science planning in retail management.
I was thrilled to see the possibilities available to students in this exciting field, but what was most inspiring was to encourage more people to follow this path.
What does beauty have to do with steam subjects? Think of some of our great British success stories, from Boots to beauty brand ‘Numberseven’ products, Dame Roddick’s Body Shop and Charlotte Tilbury’s colorful cosmetics.
All these products are built on a solid foundation of science, manufacturing and technological innovation and could not have existed without the passion and commitment of their creators.
The beauty industry is undoubtedly one of the many sectors that are actively promoting steam careers.
In fact, it’s hard to think of anyone in this industry who isn’t in the race for innovation.
Recognizing this fact, the Government has massively promoted STEAM apprenticeships across the UK and it is great to see the offer being so enthusiastically received as it launches in 2022 and 2023. 36 percent of all apprenticeships (male and female) were in STEAM education.
We’ve seen a 40 percent increase in women taking STEAM apprenticeships since 2014 and 2015, and between 2019 and 2023 we’ve seen a 57 percent increase in women applying for computer science degrees and an 18 percent increase in engineering and technology.
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It was a big leap when my mother started her career as the only female engineer in her company in the 1970s.
I have personally witnessed the power of STEAM subjects in my career developing and leading local British brands including an integrated and comprehensive online childcare agency, a new age, non-invasive wireless fetal monitoring system and Includes AI-powered study resources for students.
A long list of UK businesses engaged in innovation on the strong basis of STEAM and many of these businesses are run by female founders.
If we continue to invest in science and innovation, Britain can lead the world into the technological age. So we need to celebrate and encourage more women studying and achieving in STEM subjects.
On this International Women’s Day, I look to my daughters and hope that they too will be inspired by their grandmother to think of new horizons, to imagine a world built on the innovation of steam and Pursue your passion.
I look forward to what stories she will tell over the next 50 years. I hope the story of a young woman studying engineering in India in the 1960s will resonate with them.
