A CLUB which works to improve the lives of women and girls is encouraging female students to pursue careers in STEM subjects.

Soroptimists from Warrington’s club branch created the event for 66 year nine and 10 students from Great Sankey High School.

The half-day event was hosted by United Utilities and their team joined five other companies, Jaguar Land Rover, Liverpool Clinical Laboratories, National Nuclear Laboratory, Arcadis and Fujitsu.

The companies showcased the types of jobs available when students decide on STEM subjects.

Most importantly, the speakers from each company explained how they had got their jobs – through work placement, apprenticeship or graduate entry routes – which gave the students practical proof of possible employment options.

Dr Margaret Emsley, a civil engineer at University of Manchester’s school of mechanical, aerospace and civil engineering, and former federation president of SIGBI International, was the lead speaker.

The event, linked to the national initiative to encourage girls to consider taking science, technology, engineering and mathematics at GCSE level and beyond, supports the wider Soroptimist mission to inspire action and transform the lives of women and girls worldwide.

Soroptimist Jackie Alexander, of SI Warrington, said: “We wanted to allow the students to explore a wide variety of job possibilities and to understand that women, as well as men, can aspire to such roles.

“From the enthusiastic feedback, it seems that they were energised by these female role models and surprised not only at the breadth of professional possibilities they heard about, but also that there are a number of entry routes into such jobs.

“Over time, we hope that such events will encourage more and more girls to aspire to careers in STEM areas and we are looking to collaborate with other schools in the Warrington area.”