Inclusivity in technical professions: VINCI Energies pioneers female workwear
Brussels, 19 December 2022 - In recent years, all kinds of initiatives have been taken to get more women interested in jobs in the traditionally male-dominated technical professions and STEM sectors. These efforts seem to be bearing fruit: in 2021, for example, VINCI Energies in Belgium recruited more than 60 women, including in technical positions such as engineer, electromechanic, quality controller or welder. 2022 too saw some 50 new female employees starting - and the year is not over yet. One practical aspect however is often overlooked: adapted female workwear. VINCI Energies is now tackling that issue.
VINCI Energies being fully committed to equal workplace opportunities is not something new. This spring, for instance, the specialist in digital transformation and energy transition launched a new edition of its 'Women in technology' campaign to further increase its number of female employees. It also received several awards recently for its active policy on diversity and inclusivity, including from XKwadraat (Gender Equality in the Workplace), the diversity label of the Brussels Capital Region and Veuve Clicquot's Bold Champion Award. VINCI Energies also received congratulations from sector federation Agoria.
But, that doesn’t mean all the work has been done: within the company, the effort to think of ways of creating the most inclusive working environment possible is ongoing. As such, VINCI Energies is now providing adapted workwear for its female technical staff.
“A truly inclusive policy requires a thorough reflection at all levels. It involves many different aspects and calls into question plenty of things that are taken for granted. One of the most obvious and tangible ones is workwear, which traditionally has been tailored to the male body, both in terms of shape and size. So, not very attractive nor practical for women. That is why we have now decided to provide adapted workwear for our female employees: overalls and protective clothing, as well as safety shoes in smaller sizes”, says Marc Lemaire, managing director at VINCI Energies Belgium.
Recruiting even more women
The initiative is part of VINCI Energies' broader efforts to increase diversity in the workplace, for example through the 'Women in technology' campaign, which is in its second edition this year and will be continued in 2023. With the campaign, which includes several initiatives to highlight VINCI Energies' female employees in Belgium, the company aims to attract even more women in the traditionally rather male sectors in which it operates: industrial automation, energy, transport and communication infrastructure, building technologies, fire security and facility services.
One of the ways the company is betting on more women in the workplace is by breaking stereotypes - for instance by highlighting a female colleague on the group's job portal and on social media every month. Furthermore, all participants in the 'Women in technology' campaigns are invited to a networking lunch twice a year. Last but not least, VINCI Energies in Belgium has revised the wording of its job postings to make them as inclusive as possible.
“Over the past two years, we recruited more than 110 women, a number we want to increase even further. To do so, we need to keep breaking existing gender stereotypes and clichés: technology is neutral and so, we welcome everyone: female, non-binary or male!”, concludes Marc Lemaire, managing director VINCI Energies Belgium.
About VINCI Energies
In a world undergoing constant change, VINCI Energies contributes to the environmental transition by helping bring about major shifts in the digital landscape and the energy sector. Keeping pace with market change, VINCI Energies integrates customised multi-technical solutions to help its customers roll out technologies that serve a useful purpose and care for the planet, from design to implementation, operation and maintenance. With their strong regional roots and agile and innovative structure, VINCI Energies’ 1,800 business units have positioned themselves at the heart of the energy choices their customers make, boosting the reliability, efficiency and sustainability of their infrastructure and processes.
In Belgium, VINCI Energies is active in industrial automation, energy-, transport- and communication infrastructures, building techniques, fire protection and facility services through the brands Actemium, Axians, Cegelec, Omexom and VINCI Facilities, as well as through some local brands. VINCI Energies Belgium employs 2,850 collaborators and represents an annual turnover of 600 million €.
Wendy Verheyden
Paul Geens