‘Alarming’that women average £17k less than men at science park

M-SPARC’S annual tenant survey shows above average wages at the science park – but lower salaries for women and Welsh speakers.

M-SParc, a Bangor Universityowned Science Park at Gaerwen, was established in 2018 to create well-paid careers in the region by attracting and retaining firms in the science and tech fields.

The positive news is that the park is now 84% occupied – with 200 people working in the building.

The average earnings for someone working for a company based at M-SParc is £32,632.

This is higher than the average for Anglesey (£27,596) and Wales (£27,820).

But the science park said out of the 34 companies housed at M-SParc, the highest earners are men and those who have an increase in wages throughout their careers are also male.

There was a £17,000 difference in the average wage for men and women.

Additionally, those in the highest paid positions are for the most part not Welsh speakers.

Research shows that in Wales, Welsh speakers earn 10% more on average than non-Welsh speakers.

But at M-Sparc it was on average 35% less – with Welsh speakers being generally employed amongst the lower paid jobs.

One of the success stories at the park is Billy Williams, who is originally from Amlwch and returned to the area after leaving to work in London.

Billy founded Cufflink, a technology company based at M-SParc.

He said: “Since moving to M-SParc we’ve created three new high tech jobs, with two employees being Bangor University graduates, and one employee also having relocated back to the area.

“We are now looking to recruit again in the coming months, we’ll be recruiting and employing up to eight new staff members.

“The company is going from strength to strength, and this is in part thanks to the amazing ecosystem that we’re a part of here at M-SParc.”

Pryderi ap Rhisiart, managing director of M-SParc, said: “We are pleased to see that well-paid careers are being created, that was the vision; to see these businesses grow with M-SParc and benefit from Bangor University.

“However, the below average number of Welsh speakers in the sector and the fact that women earn on average £17,000 less than men is alarming.

“We need to understand the roles undertaken by women on the Science Park and what’s behind this gender pay gap.

“The focus is on supporting companies in the science and technology sectors to grow and to create employment.

“University graduates are already benefitting, there are exciting careers here for young people from North Wales.

“But we need to increase the number of local young people who choose to study STEM subjects.”

The links with Bangor University are growing stronger, as students are increasingly attending events and taking advantage of what’s going on at M-SParc.

Lowri Owen, B-Enterprising at Bangor Universit, said: “We are working increasingly closely with M-SParc, in order to find placements for graduates, show our students what career opportunities are available for them in the future, and even to house student and graduate start-ups in an office sponsored by Santander Universities, to encourage entrepreneurship in a fantastic and supportive environment.”

The results were taken from an annual survey of tenants, and analysed by Economic expert and Bangor Business School, Bangor University lecturer Dr Edward Jones.

He said: “The statistics speak for themselves, and it’s important to note that 76% of those working in the building enjoy coming to work and 81% of the respondents feel that they are part of the community.

“The team at M-SParc have been successfully in creating a strong community spirit and an environment where firms can collaborate and develop, in addition to opportunities for well-paid, diverse careers.”

Pryderi ap Rhisiart added: “The well-paid careers and economic impact isn’t just happening by accident either.

“Companies here are provided with dedicated business support to see them not only succeed, but thrive, and that is what we are seeing.

“What we won’t do is just focus on the positives.

“There is more work to be done on creating opportunities for the Welsh speaking community, and also for women who want to work in Science and Technology.

“There’s a lot to be done and we’re just getting started, but by taking action and monitoring progress annually we know we can do better.”