eoa: Having been named the EO Director at Seetec, you’ve really helped to deliver the benefit of employee ownership. So, to what extent has EO helped empower women at Seetec?
AC: Women make up 65% of our total headcount across the range of services we deliver in employment, training, education, skills, business services, and consultancy.
Our employee ownership structure means we’ve been able to raise the profile of frontline women in our business. In 2020, when we asked colleagues to nominate themselves for our first employee council, most of the people who came forward, initially, were male.
Recognising the imbalance, I spent time with colleagues across the business encouraging women to think more carefully about taking that step onto the employee council. Some weren’t confident about their ability to take up the role and many expressed worries about time commitments, however, with encouragement from leaders - and the support they needed to participate – we’ve consistently enjoyed an employee council female representation of 80%.
I’m extremely proud that this is an important legacy of our EO culture. We have women representing female colleagues and influencing decision-making at the highest level, ensuring women's experiences are considered when important decisions are made.
eoa: Tell us a bit more about the role of women at Seetec more broadly
AC: Seetec is a values-led business. Our work is led by the many colleagues working hard on the Seetec frontlines to support individuals facing barriers in the community, as well as our collaboration with businesses and employers to ensure a fair and equal workplace.
Our employees – 65% of whom are women – are just as values-driven as the business at large, and they demonstrate this daily in the way they take ownership over the work they do. We work closely with other businesses to support their growth, recruitment, and back-office operations, but our approach is always to put the people first.
Employee ownership has demonstrated to us very strongly over the past five years the importance of diversity in decision making. By involving employee voice in important decisions, we reach better outcomes. Involving colleagues from the employee council in these discussions brings insights that just weren't present before.
All our Employee Trustee Directors have been women, and seeing those women grow in confidence, finding their voice in the most senior space at Seetec, has been truly inspiring and reflects the important role of women in our business.
eoa: How has Seetec created a fairer, more inclusive workplace?
AC: Seetec’s purpose is to help people and organisations to achieve sustained and purposeful growth. Everything we do is about creating a fairer and more equal society. Naturally this translates into our culture and practices internally.
We routinely use working groups to include employee voice in projects, initiatives and decision making. We know that when we include the views of people who deliver our services, we build better solutions for our customers.
And it doesn’t stop there – we extend this same philosophy to the businesses we work with through our commercial services. When we consult for other businesses, such as through our recruitment service, we ensure they employ the same best practices and strategies in their recruitment to create an equal, diverse and inclusive workplace and culture. The key is attracting talent and screening candidates who demonstrate those core values, not just technical skill.
eoa: As a woman in senior role, do you feel a responsibility to help uplift and empower other women at all levels of the business?
AC: Absolutely! Particularly as I get older and see the talent of younger women in the business. I’m inspired by their energy, creativity and their commitment to improving outcomes for the people, businesses and communities we work with.
I’m learning to reflect on my role and be aware of the fine line between supporting colleagues and stepping back to allow them to step up. Allowing colleagues the space to participate and shine is good for the business, our customers and our employees.
eoa: How would you say the training sector compares to other when it comes to gender equality – and what more can the sector do to improve?
AC: The training sector has strong female representation, with women making up 70% of the workforce in education. However, most leadership roles are still held by men. Women also remain underrepresented in STEM, transport and logistics, and construction training.
The sector must increase female leadership through mentoring, pay transparency, and inclusive training especially in underrepresented fields like STEM and logistics. Encouraging women into technical roles and strengthening workplace policies, such as parental leave and job security, will also help.
At Seetec, we’re proud to report that women make up 56% of our leadership training learners and 77% in professional services training. While progress is being made, we are eager to continue work to close the gap and ensure true gender equality.