The success of the England women’s football team is inspiring girls and women who want to secure leadership roles in a wide range of professional sectors, a major business event was told.

The Lionesses’ achievement in retaining their title at the European Women's Championships this year is acting as a rallying cry for women who want to break down barriers, according to the participants at a roundtable debate.

The event, which was organised by The Yorkshire Post and Made Smarter Yorkshire & Humber, explored the challenges and opportunities facing women in the manufacturing sector.

One of the participants, Rachel Lewis, CEO and co-founder of IQ Engineers, said "If you look at what's happened in women's football, it provides a really good example of how you can promote inclusivity.

The women in manufacturing roundtable in York was organised by The Yorkshire Post in partnership with Made Smarter Yorkshire & Humber. (Photo Allan McKenzie)

placeholder image — The women in manufacturing roundtable in York was organised by The Yorkshire Post in partnership with Made Smarter Yorkshire & Humber. (Photo Allan McKenzie)

"I have a daughter who was keen to play football but she didn't want to play until there was a girl's team at the local club.

"If we want girls to have the confidence to explore engineering, maybe we need to think differently and have places they feel safe, to try it without the pressure of being different.

"The relationship that the Lionesses have had with the country is crucial; they are showing what women are capable of and that is influencing society in a really positive way. Women are seen in a different light. That's the type of thing that is needed in engineering."

The education system needs to swing back towards a focus on problem solving, said Ms Lewis.

Anna Buckley, the co-founder of Mindful Memorials, which has 10 branches across Yorkshire, said she believed the schools system is not fit for purpose, as many pupils were studying for exams which would not provide them with the skills they would need in the future. (Photo by Allan McKenzie)

"You need people who can understand how to give AI agency to go out and solve problems and the greater diversity of people doing that, the better the range of solutions.

"Schools also need to be more aware of the value of degree - apprenticeships. When you find yourself in the room as the only woman, you feel as though you are speaking for all women. It is unusual for men to be in that position.

She added: “But representation goes way beyond gender. Increasing the voice of northern businesses on national issues or the perspective of small businesses amongst corporates are equally important and challenging at times.

"We need to find ways for it to be normal to have more women involved in these discussions. It is great to get this group of women leaders together who are all successful in the existing landscape but we still need to think about those who are not in the room and what we can do to make it easier for them.”

One of the participants, Rachel Lewis, CEO and co-founder of IQ Engineers, said "If you look at what's happened in women's football, it provides a really good example of how you can promote inclusivity." (Photo by Allan McKenzie)

Anna Buckley, the co-founder of Mindful Memorials, which has 10 branches across Yorkshire, said she believed the schools system is not fit for purpose, as many pupils were studying for exams which would not provide them with the skills they would need in the future.

"If we had more project-based learning where pupils could work together and make things, they are more likely to search for a job that has those sorts of qualities.

"We have problems with apprenticeships. In our industry, there are no colleges in the UK which offer monumental masonry apprenticeships. The CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) have been working hard to improve this and ourselves and a group of other industry professionals have been liaising with them to update the qualification and make it more relevant to the industry so that colleges might take it up, and then we will be able to put apprentices through the qualification.”

Ms Buckley said the UK could learn from the Finnish educational system: “In schools in Finland they do a morning of academic work and then they actively encourage play, so for them less is more. They make the work interesting. We learn so much through play and collaboration.”

Ms Buckley said she believed children should be told to ask questions. “They are being told to focus on what you need to know for your exam. That's not how human beings are supposed to learn.”

She added: "We need a stronger vision so we can sell a positive story of manufacturing."

Made Smarter was created following an industry-led review of how UK manufacturing industries can prosper through digital tools and innovation.

Mike Pennington, its business relationship manager, stressed that it could provide support on issues including digital road mapping, intensive technology support and apprenticeships.

For more information visit: www.madesmarter.uk.