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Project outline

This project finished in December 2006. The WEWIN project team and the University have managed to secure further funding from the ESF for a subsequent research project, Women Audio Visual Engineers (WAVE). Whilst Audio and Visual engineering is free from the traditional 'heavy machinery' stereotype, the industry remaining male-dominated. The project will examine gender segretation in this industry and produce policy recommendations and practical strategies to influence the effective recruitment and participation of women in this high-growth sector. You can view further information about the WAVE project at: http://www.cse.salford.ac.uk/wave

The report, Developing Female Engineers, produced by a research team from the School of Computing, Science and Engineering in June 2005, found that organisational culture presents a real barrier to the effective participation of female engineers in industry. Inflexible working practices, a lack of access to informal networks, and a long hours culture can all lead to an early exit from the engineering industry for many women. ESF funding has been secured for a subsequent research project, which will examine, analyse and evaluate working practices and occupational culture in engineering organisations in the North West. It aims to produce policies and strategies to influence and improve the working practices of companies in the sector. The project will run until December 2006.

For more information, please contact Dr Haifa Takruri-Rizk (h.takruri-rizk@salford.ac.uk) or on 0161 295 3139.

ESF's main purpose is to support the annual UK Employment Action Plan, which sets out how UK policies and initiatives take account of the Employment Guidelines established within the European Employment Strategy. ESF is channelled through three Structural Fund Objectives and the Equal Community Initiative. European Social Fund aims to:

• Help umemployed and inactive people enter work
• Provide opportunities for people at a disadvantage in the labour market
• Promote lifelong learning
• Develop the skills of employed people
• Improve women's participation in the labour market
  

The school of Computing, Science & Engineering is committed to the promotion of women in SET at all stages. The School is involved in a number of projects and initiatives which include organising the annual Insight programme to encourage young girls from all over the UK to study engineering programmes, a partner in the NW Hub for Women in SECT workking with returners, employers, and promoting women in science, engineering, construction and technology, taken part in the MENWU project (a NW Universities mentoring scheme for women in SET) and delivering talks and demonstrations promoting SET disciplines to pupils in local schools.

People, Technology, Ambition and Success
The Informatics Research Institute (IRIS) is at the forefront of developments brought about by latest advances in Information and Communication Technology, including the emerging concepts of ubiquitous computing and ambient intelligence. IRIS has the ambition, through a multi-disciplinary and cross-industry approach, to pursue the vision of a sustainable knowledge society supported by novel ICT-enabled physical as well as virtual modes of socialisation, communication and collaboration across disparate geographical locations and time-zones. Technology, people, organizations and society are the four pillars that form the foundation of our research. This is reflected in the nature of our work that spans the information systems spectrum from the 'soft' (human related) to 'hard' (ICT related) research and from theory to practice.