Water firm ditches ‘male’ words to attract women

MORE women are applying for manual frontline roles at Thames Water after the firm changed the “masculine” wording of its job adverts.

The company used an online tool that analyses language after just eight per cent of applicants for sewage work technician jobs were from women last year.

Words like “competitive”, “confident” and “champion” were highlighted as being “masculine coded”.

Thames Water ditched them and included phrases such as “we welcome people who want to learn and be team players” in an advert for the £13-per-hour role.

Since then, the number of women applicants has rocketed to 46 per cent.

The scheme comes ahead of today’s International

Women in Engineering Day. Project leader Lucia Farrance said: “To bring about real change, women need more seats at the table.

“There is a huge pool of untapped female talent out there and it is great to see some of that showing through in the recruits coming into the frontline teams at Thames Water.

Diverse

now responsible for maintenance and repairs at Chieveley Sewage Works in Newbury, Berkshire.

The 24-yearold said the job fitted in well with caring for her 10-monthold son, Henry.

Rachael said: “There might be certain things I can’t do, like heavy lifting, but we’re a team so we help each other out. I don’t see anything here that makes it a male-specific role.

“Women are really missing out if they think a job like this isn’t for them.”

THE NATIONAL LOTTERY

SATURDAY, JUNE 20

FRIDAY, JUNE 19

THE HEALTH LOTTERY

SATURDAY, JUNE 20

FRIDAY, JUNE 19

“We are extremely passionate about championing the importance and benefits of a diverse and equal workforce. Gender should never be a barrier.” One successful applicant was Rachael Trigg, who is New recruit Rachael is happy in her job at sewage works