Breaking the bias for women in engineering

~ Hear from Sandvik Coromant’s president this International Women’s Day ~

This year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) follows the theme of “break the bias” – celebrating those who dare to challenge, and the women who could solve some of the greatest issues impacting our world. As a business invested in its people, leader in metal cutting, Sandvik Coromant, highlights the experience of Sandvik Coromant President, Helen Blomqvist.

One of IWD’s key missions is to forge inclusive work cultures where women’s careers thrive and their achievements are celebrated. Currently, women make up 18% of Sandvik Coromant’s workforce and 30% of its next-generation managers, placing it above the industry average. [NS1] [CC2] 

But despite these successes, it’s clear there’s still more work to be done to encourage women into the engineering and technology fields. While women have accounted for the majority of university bachelor’s degrees since the 1980s, just 13% of professional engineers are reported to be female. Businesses, educators and wider society need to address this gap from an equality perspective but, at the same time, they cannot ignore the business benefits of diverse teams.

Time to act

According to a Wall Street Journal report examining diversity and inclusion among S&P 500 companies, “diverse and inclusive cultures are providing companies with a competitive edge over either peers”.

Despite efforts to increase diversity in business,  only 16% of corporate directors surveyed by PwC believed their companies scored “excellent” for recruiting a diverse workforce in 2020. Even fewer, 15% felt their companies were excellent in developing diverse talent, and 83% believed that companies should be doing more to promote gender and racial diversity. 

It’s clear that businesses have to take strides to truly reap the benefits of diverse teams. With those operating in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields facing some of the greatest gender gaps, businesses in these sectors must work even harder to conquer gender imbalance.

One way of inspiring young women to consider a career in engineering is to promote the voices of those already in the industry. Sandvik Coromant spoke to its president, Helen Blomqvist.

Meet the president

After starting as a research engineer at Sandvik Coromant almost 20 years ago, it’s safe to say Helen Blomqvist has risen through the ranks successfully, after becoming the company’s president in 2020. Many experiences have shaped Helen’s experience as an engineer — and everything she’s achieved has been a learning opportunity. “I like to see feedback as a gift, rather than a criticism,” she explained. “I never stop learning, and everyone at Sandvik Coromant can teach me something.”

Having the opportunity to learn something new is of great importance to Helen, who has taken inspiration from Google’s business practices. “There was an initiative called “20% time”. The scheme meant that, for a portion of a workers’ week, they could dedicate their time to exploratory work, focusing on creativity and learning that was outside of their normal responsibilities. It’s where Google Mail was born, among many other landmark creations,” explained Helen. “While I don’t invest quite so much time into other activities, I try to lead by example and dedicate 90 minutes of my time each week to my own learning. Whether it’s attending a training session or speaking to one of our product experts, there’s always something new for me to learn.”

For Helen, finding an organisation that invests in learning and development is key to encouraging a more diverse workplace. “Find a company where you can develop and where your ideas are valued, no matter your background. For me, that company has been Sandvik Coromant.”

The facts speak for themselves — the engineering industry must do more to encourage women into the field. Celebrations such as IWD play a key part in showcasing the options available for women, who must not be held back by stereotypes. But, perhaps more importantly, sharing the stories of women engineers who have overcome hurdles and developed true industry innovations is key to forming the next generation of engineering heroes.