We have celebrated International Women’s Day at the National College for Nuclear (NCfN) with a powerful event led by Sky-Elouise Hopkins, UCS Students' Union Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Manager and Nuclear Engineering Degree Apprentice. Passionate about encouraging more women into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) careers, Sky-Elouise organised the event to inspire change and spark conversation about gender inclusivity in the nuclear industry and beyond.
In a sector where only 5.8% of Sky-Elouise’s own apprentice cohort is female, she highlighted the urgent need to challenge gendered career stereotypes and open more opportunities for women in nuclear. With 40,000 new nuclear jobs in the UK planned by the end of the decade, Sky-Elouise sees this as an unmissable opportunity to drive female representation forward.
Driving Change in the Nuclear Industry
Head of NCfN – Southern Hub, Paul Goss, addressed the gender imbalance within the college and the wider sector. NCfN has 18% female students and 3% of its staff are women. He acknowledged the national context of toxic online influences, stressing the importance of promoting positive attitudes and tackling gender-based discrimination head-on.
NCfN has already introduced female-only forums, awareness-raising campaigns, and training for staff and students on spotting and challenging harassment. The goal is to make sure that this event is not just a one-off, but part of an ongoing commitment to supporting more women into engineering.
Inspiring Words from Industry Leaders
🔹 Stacey Hatch, Head of Performance Improvement at HPC, spoke about the Dream Gap; the barriers that stop girls from reaching their full potential. She described her career as a woman in the nuclear industry, and encouraged women to build strong support networks and to push themselves beyond their comfort zones.
🔹 Sameena Shaik, Specialist Trainer at NCfN, shared her personal journey in STEM, from being one of just five women in an engineering class of 70, to overcoming challenges with resilience. Her message to aspiring women in STEM: “Never let anyone tell you that you don’t belong.”
With over 50% of UCS Students' Union members being women, the UCS Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee is committed to keeping the momentum going. The next step is to build on the positive messages from today’s event and drive further action to break down barriers for women in STEM.
📢 Let’s continue the conversation—what more can we do to support women in STEM? #IWD #STEM #WomenInEngineering #UCS #NCfN