What do you think of when you picture a chemist, an engineer, a marketer or a strategist? Eight of our Year 9 students were asked this when they represented DGS at a STEM careers conference held at the BP Technology Centre, Pangbourne on 7th March. The girls worked in teams with students from other schools and staff from BP to find out about the many and varied roles in a STEM company and how it is possible for girls to achieve their ambitions in STEM.

During they day they interviewed a panel of women who work for BP, learning about their roles, their career pathways and the challenges and opportunities they have received. The girls also toured some of the technical departments, speaking to experts in engine testing, mass spectrometry, marketing and claims and demos. Finally, the girls all gave presentations which reflected how their understanding of the personal qualities and academic qualifications needed for the roles of chemist, engineer, marketer and strategist had changed over the day.

We are grateful to BP who organised this event to celebrate International Women's Day. BP aim to support, inspire and empower women for greater professional and personal success and they have definitely helped our students in this regard as shown by the girls' comments: "Very informative, especially about what A level and degree choices can lead to a career in STEM"; "Amazing", "An eye-opening experience"; "Gave us a real insight into the world of STEM"; "Inspirational!".