Celebrating International Women’s Day: How SPARC is Shaping Women’s Careers in Energy across Pembrokeshire

Huge strides have been made in green energy education in Pembrokeshire since the launch of the SPARC (Sustainable Power, Renewables and Construction Alliance) initiative on International Women’s Day 2024. The success of the programme’s efforts over the past year were clear to see at this February’s outstanding industry event, led by Pembrokeshire College and involving students from participating schools across the county.

Revolutionising STEM Learning in Pembrokeshire

While some strides have been made in recent years, the underrepresentation of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) continues. SPARC’s ground roots approach focuses on early education to break down barriers that remain for women in STEM. Since joining the SPARC alliance, our Cierco team have been enthusiastic partners, alongside other industry leaders, in spearheading the charge to change the perception of STEM subjects in schools. 

It’s encouraging to see just how much impact the initiative has already had in Pembrokeshire. Designed to cultivate creative, ethical, capable, confident learners in alignment with the new curriculum for Wales, the programme has enabled a number of teachers to train as SPARC practitioners. Armed with this extra training, the teachers can deliver a wide range of activities that will encourage female students to consider a career in less traditional industries like energy, engineering, and construction. 

The programme is split into three main phases:

• Phase 1: Years 7 to 9 – this stage develops early awareness in STEM
• Phase 2: Years 10 to 11 – enhancing students’ decision-making skills is the focus here
• Phase 3: Ages 16+ – students are encouraged to build on and share knowledge with a peer mentoring scheme

Current statistics show that a mere 10% of school students are studying STEM subjects. However, projects like the SPARC Alliance are at the forefront of instigating change, with the Pembrokeshire project aiming to increase the number to 15% in the next ten years.

Having secured extra funding from the Swansea Bay City Deal, the alliance is well placed to meet its long-term goal of inspiring 30,000 young people to take advantage of the exciting career opportunities in renewable energy over the same period. 

From Classroom to Career

As well as having a direct influence on the young women of Pembrokeshire, SPARC’s impact has even more far-reaching social and economic benefits for the region. With limited career prospects and decreased social mobility affecting West Wales’s coastal communities, projects like SPARC are key in creating more opportunity for young people in the area. 

This is especially important considering the expected £5.5 billion in investment and 16,000 green sector jobs in the pipeline for FLOW in the Celtic Sea and Milford Haven Freeport. With the change in mindset and the increased STEM skills developed by SPARC, it’s hoped that Pembrokeshire students will be first in line to take advantage of the incredible career opportunities this investment will bring. 

Creating a More Diverse Renewable Energy Workforce

We believe that diverse talent brings the fresh perspectives and creativity essential for driving innovation. At Cierco, we are dedicated to empowering learners, breaking down barriers in STEM, and paving the way for women to excel as future leaders in renewable energy.

Following the SPARC project’s early success and the enthusiasm shown at February’s industry day, we continue to play an active role in the initiative, working together to positively impact our industry and contribute to a brighter future for Pembrokeshire.