The first Women with Metal Conference took place in Birmingham on Tuesday 10th October, with more than 100 delegates in attendance from across the UK Metals sectors.
Organised by Kirsty Davies-Chinnock, Managing Director of Professional Polishing Services Ltd, the conference, designed for women working within the metals industries, focused on career development, women’s health in the workplace, and how to maximise networking opportunities.
Taking place at the beautiful Park Regis Hotel in Birmingham, the underlying theme of the birthplace of the ‘Industrial Revolution’ was apparent, with a shift towards developing opportunities and breaking down barriers for women and girls already working in the sector and opening more doors for those considering a career in metal.
Rachel Eade MBE, a manufacturing and supply chain specialist, opened the conference with a look at her varied career and experience. The focus was on resilience being the key to forging (no metals pun intended!) success and building your contacts and network to create your own brand.
The rest of the morning included a varied mix of presentations, ranging from how to protect your personal income in the event of sickness, ways to improve leadership and identity skills, and how to craft your own brand and align with a professional identity.
Justice Williams MBE took the idea of building your brand to a new level with a detailed presentation on how to utilise tools such as LinkedIn to leverage your knowledge and share experiences with fellow colleagues and industry.
A fascinating panel discussion on unconscious bias followed with speakers such as Steph Snade, Denise Morris and Joanna Lee-Mills, covering the assumptions and interpretations within the workplace and the impact on the recipient.
Delegates were asked to share their experiences of being on the receiving end of unconscious bias, as well as the thoughts sometimes engrained in us and how to bring these to the forefront in certain situations.
The afternoon saw delegates taking part in a series of networking activities to encourage more responsive and beneficial conversations that can lead to questions being answered responsively and working relationships being formed and maintained.
Women’s health in the workplace was then tackled with a very interactive and enlightening presentation by Liz Burley, around Menopause and physical and mental wellbeing for women. The challenge of raising awareness of the health implications and effects on women and those around them was discussed thoroughly, with it sparking a lot of questions and discussions from the audience.
Morag Hale, Head of HR at Amari Metals, rounded off the day with a talk on ‘banter in the workplace’ and questions were raised around the line between banter and bullying.
With such a positive response from all delegates, it looks like this will be the start of not only an annual event, but hopefully a continuation across the sectors to share the outcomes with other women and build on the important topics and issues for nearly 50% of the metals industry workforce today.
Kirsty Davies-Chinnock said: "When I decided to run a conference for women in the metal industries I thought we would have maybe thirty people in the room. With over one hundred attending the sell out event on the 10th October 2023 I am delighted with the positive reception the industry has had in supporting this. From mill distributors to metal recycling, to fabrication companies to stock-holders, the supply chain was definitely represented with enthusiasm and energy. I am incredibly grateful to all delegates who attended and their companies for supporting the inaugural Women with Metal event. I cant thank the speakers enough for their incredible presentations and their help to make the day a resounding success."