Unipart boss urges other women to follow in her footsteps
ONE of the most senior female executives in UK engineering has urged her counterparts to put themselves forward for a major industry award.
Carol Burke, managing director of Midlands-based Unipart Manufacturing Group , won the Businesswoman of the Year title in 2005 – and believes the title could help promote manufacturing and engineering to a new generation of women.
The winner of the 32nd Businesswoman of the Year will be announced at the Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards at the Hilton Metropole Hotel, near the NEC on Friday, October 10.
Entries for the awards close on Friday (September 19) and organisers are hoping to attract late nominations.
“Manufacturing is quite a tough macho sector but I felt it was important to enter really for the industry and to underline the importance in attracting more women,” said Ms Burke.
“That is truer now than ever before, and I would recommend any of my contemporaries who might share my reservations, to give it a go.
“It is a great event in itself, but more important is the message it sends out to girls and young women who might consider engineering and manufacturing as a profession.”
Burke is backing measures by various industry bodies – including the Royal Academy of Engineers – to encourage more females into the industry but believes that the lack of skilled people entering the sector is a major problem.
She said: “The lack of skilled people entering the industry is our biggest threat and we all have to do something about it by reaching people through a variety of routes – not purely the traditional channels.
“So if entering awards such as this makes a difference, I think women in industry should consider it even if, like me, they have natural reservations.”
Lord Digby Jones chairs the entry panel for this year’s awards and former winners of the title include Karren Brady, Hilary Devey, Sarah Tremellen, founder and chief executive of Bravissimo, Emma Elston, co-founder of UK Container Maintenance, Julie White, managing director of D-Drill, and Asha Khemka, principal and chief executive of West Nottinghamshire College.
To find out more information, enter the awards or nominate someone people should visit: http://www.womenoftheyear.uk.com/nomination-form/
The Unipart Manufacturing Group is unconnected with parts supplier Unipart Automotive, which collapsed into administration in July.
