Twenty women from across the Aston Martin business have today been playing a key part in the Midlands’ launch of the ambitious Inspiring Women charity campaign.
2 July 2014: Gaydon. Twenty women from across the Aston Martin business have today been playing a key part in the Midlands’ launch of the ambitious Inspiring Women charity campaign.
Staff from across the luxury sports car manufacturer’s global headquarters in Gaydon, Warwickshire, took time out to attend today’s event, which was also supported by a number of key inspirational women including Miriam González Durántez, Partner Dechert LLP and founder of the Inspiring Women Campaign.
Run by the Education and Employment Taskforce, the Inspiring Women campaign began in 2013 and aims to get 15,000 women volunteering to give up an hour a year and go into schools or colleges near where they live or work to collectively chat with 250,000 young women about their career and life experiences.
Today’s Midlands launch, which was organised by Aston Martin’s voluntary schools ambassador Bal Choda and took place at the Tile Hill Wood High School in Coventry, saw 20 Aston Martin employees from Design, Manufacturing, Engineering, Finance and other departments give up their time to support the inspirational cause. The staff members drove a selection of Aston Martin sports cars from Gaydon to the school for the occasion.
Karen Gibson, Senior Manager Corporate Planning and Investor Relations, gave a speech at the event before she and her Aston Martin colleagues took part in a “career speed dating” session, helping to inspire the scores of female students in the audience and give them insights into different career options.
Karen said: “It has been a very positive and productive day. The Inspiring Women campaign is clearly a very important initiative, and I was more than happy to help support its Midlands’ launch on behalf of Aston Martin.
She added: “Today we have been able to meet a large number of gifted and ambitious young women, and have hopefully shown them a small part of what is possible if they choose to realise their professional ambitions.”
Miriam González, Partner Dechert LLP and Inspiring Women founder and champion said: “Many girls do not consider a career in manufacturing because they fear 'it is not for girls'. Today’s event with Aston Martin shows them the impressive breadth of jobs open to them in design and manufacturing, which is one of the most successful sectors in the country. Manufacturing is not a boy’s club - it is open to girls as well.
“The Inspiring Women Campaign believes that there are fantastic female role models who can help all girls - but women need to come forward. This is why we are urging women to join the campaign and pledge just one hour per year to visit a school near their home or work to talk with girls about their lives.”