Gender balanced goals

Camden Group has announced that 20% of its manufacturing workforce is made up of women.

The manufacturing industry is traditionally a male dominated workplace with women in the minority, the company said. However, trends are changing and more and more woman are joining the manufacturing workforce.

Camden Group employs more than 700 employees across six manufacturing facilities and 12 trade centres, of which 430 work in manufacturing plants, and 20% are women – a figure which is increasing.

In some areas women make up the majority of the team such as the decorative glass department, beading lines and customer services.

Furthermore, many of the key positions are held by women: group operations manager, quality manager, production supervisors and team leaders
Caroline Heagney, group operations manager, said: “As a senior manager, I believe that a gender balanced workforce brings much needed diversity to the company, makes our business stronger, more innovative, and provides us with a competitive advantage. Gender diversity is vital to any workplace, not just because it’s a laudable goal, but it simply makes bottom-line business sense.”

Camden said it has invested heavily in recruitment campaigns and engagement strategies over the past year. Many roles have had their titles changed to appeal to a wider and more diverse audience, and vacancies have been advertised, stating that no training or background in manufacturing is needed. This is aimed to encourage people to enter the industry who may never have thought of manufacturing as the career of choice for them.

Policies have been updated and amended to be more inclusive and attract talent from all backgrounds, including the introduction of a robust ‘dignity at work’ policy, and new flexible working arrangements.

Quality Manager Ildiko Hamilton said: “I lead a team dedicated to ensuring the standard of products that Camden produce meet and exceed customer requirements and expectations. Camden provides excellent opportunities for woman in the workplace, and is committed to development and equality at all levels.”