In the United Kingdom and Ireland, AECOM has announced that 43% of its approximately 350 newly appointed graduates that joined the company’s Graduate Development Programme in 2018 are female. This impressive number is thanks to a five-year graduate strategy AECOM launched to address gender inequality in the workplace and build a more diverse workforce. This intake of female graduates is above the industry average and is an improvement from five years ago when the percentage was at just 25%.

Attracting the best female talent

AECOM's strategy has helped the company promote its graduate vacancies in a different way to better attract women applicants. This changed approach includes rebranding marketing materials based on the behaviour and expectations of female candidates.

"The firm realised years ago that a change of mindset was needed if AECOM was going to be able to attract and retain the best female talent and people from a range of backgrounds," says David Barwell, AECOM Chief Executive, UK & Ireland. "The ability to draw on the skills of a diverse range of people from a variety of different backgrounds is vital to our success as a business and the projects we deliver."

“Our 2018 graduate gender split is the latest year-on-year improvement we’ve achieved in the UK and Ireland and we won’t stop until we are satisfied our workforce represents the communities we serve. The graduates joining us this year will have meaningful roles on a range of vital, complex and innovative projects, and none of this work is gender specific. With the built environment sector facing a persistent gender imbalance, taking our profession to the people the industry needs to reach rather than expecting them to find us is key," he added.

Further innovative initiatives 

AECOM's graduate diversity programme is just one of a number of innovative initiatives created by AECOM to address diversity and inclusion issues. Another AECOM initiative includes increasing intake of female apprentices, partnering with schools to promote technical professions to young people, particularly girls, and its returner programme to help women and men from diverse backgrounds return to the workplace after a break in their careers.

"These figures are really exciting and I can’t wait to see the fresh thinking and creativity this mix of graduates will bring," says Roma Agrawal, an Associate Director of Buildings and Places at AECOM. "The company won’t stop until it is fully satisfied its workforce represents the communities it serves."

Join talented women at AECOM

AECOM offers some fantastic career opportunities for ambitious women. Why not learn more about AECOM and its supportive and flexible working environment.

As a global organisation which is experiencing significant growth, there's no better time to join AECOM than now.

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