ESCANABA & QUINNESEC, Mich. (WZMQ) – An international company is inspiring young women in the U.P. to pursue careers in engineering.
For ten years, Billerud has partnered with Womengineer for Introduce a Girl to Engineering (IGE) Day, which takes place on March 22.
“The aim of the initiative is to increase gender diversity in areas related to engineering and technology and to raise awareness to young girls to maintain and develop interest in these areas,” said Julia Åkerlund, HR People Development and Talent Acquisition Partner for Billerud Europe.
IGE Day gives female and non-binary individuals between the ages of 13 and 19 a day-in-the-life experience at a manufacturing job. They get to talk with industry professionals and see what a career in engineering looks like.
According to Billerud North America Deputy President and Senior Vice President of Operations Tor Lundqvist, IGE Day also furthers the company’s goal of promoting diversity and gender equality in the engineering field.
“The manufacturing sector faces a shortage of young engineers, and encouraging women to pursue engineering careers helps to fill this gap,” Lundqvist said. “This is significant for us as we move forward with our transformation program at the Escanaba mill to produce paperboard products. We believe that promoting diversity will foster a positive workplace culture and increase employee engagement.”
Billerud hopes to bring 20 girls into the Escanaba and Quinnesec mills for IGE Day. Registration is open now through March 6.
Click here to apply for Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day in Escanaba. Click here to apply in Quinnesec.
