EEECS Women and Minority Gender Leadership Programme 2023
Celebrating this year's cohort of the annual EEECS Women and Minority Gender Leadership Programme.
The EEECS Women and Minority Gender Leadership Programme is a beacon activity in the School's ongoing commitment to the Athena SWAN Action plan, designed to encourage, develop and empower women and minority gender leaders across the School.
The 2023 programme was facilitated by Athena SWAN Champion Moira Watson and delivered by Dr Louise O'Meara of the William J Clinton Leadership Institute. This year's programme welcomed nine participants, reflecting a diverse blend of professional backgrounds and roles within the School, and was delivered over 2.5 days in the Computer Science Building.
One of the programme's features is the use of participants' results from personalised psychometric reports by Insights Discovery to provide a foundation for self-awareness training, encouraging participants to better understand their working preferences and how these impact upon their communication strategies. This full-day workshop focused on improving both interpersonal communication and leadership skills based on each participant's personality and communication style.
During the programme, participants were offered an in-depth overview of current statistics relating to employment, enrolment and retention rates for women and minority gender staff and students across EEECS. By considering different issues that may impact upon recruitment and retention, the workshop aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and awareness to champion change across the School.
The programme concluded with inspiring talks from women leaders in the tech industry. Christina Matier from Codec Ireland and Erin McFeeley from Alchemy Technology Services shared their personal experiences in navigating their careers to date, shedding light on both the opportunities and challenges they have encountered along the way. They spoke about their experiences as leaders within their respective organisations, along with future aspirations and goals.
We anticipate that the Leadership programme will continue to see a positive impact across the School, with valuable experiences and lessons shared by participants throughout the course of the programme. This annual event not only encourages the development of women and minority gender leaders within EEECS, but also supports our aim of fostering a more diverse and inclusive environment for all staff and students.