Page 42 - PWM2025_January EBook

BETTER BUSINESS

Seeking an

even balance

Stereotypes of jobs and the sexes still exist with, in
many cases, women still having to break through a
theoretical glass ceiling, by Adam Bernstein

A ers, has found that the path to a suc-
January 2022 evidence
Michelle Thirlby, like many oth-
report to parliament,
Gendered STEM
cessful career in print can be very
Workforce in the
varied.
United Kingdom: The
She started off as a buyer in the
Role of Gender Bias in
Job Advertising, documented a num- food industry and it was there that
ber of occupations that were male- she was first introduced to packaging
dominated such as construction and and print. This was then followed by
building trades (97.5%), electrical a role in marketing for Plymouth
and electronic trades (97.1%), trans- University, where she was “responsi-
port associate professionals (94.6%), ble for co-ordinating all of the mar-
engineering professionals (89.3%), keting materials for the faculty which
and production managers and direc- also involved print in various forms”.
tors (88.1%). Then Thirlby went on to join ESP
There are, of course, other sectors Colour in Swindon in 2010 which,
that are also male-oriented, includ- she says, evolved into an operational
ing printing. Indeed, a March 2019 role over a 10 year span. She is now at higher ratio of women who operate more behind the scenes in the print
BPIF gender analysis (using 2018 InkTec Europe. industry who are maybe not accounted for” by the statistics.
data) for all occupations within the Experiences during her career Notably, she says that her firm has a fairly even split of male to female
sector found that 69% of workers showed her that “realistically, the employees.
were male. This is only marginally shop floor of a print company is no Taking the point further, Thirlby says that “anyone with the right skills,
better than 2013 when the sector was different to any manufacturing site – attitude and determination could fit into any role within our organisation
72% male. if you are among it and have a sense if they wanted to”. She and her colleagues “believe in promoting equality,
But if we delve down more deeply of humour, it can be fun; but it can and we try our best to recruit, reward and promote throughout the busi-
into the BPIF’s numbers, of the pre- also be intimidating.” ness based on many attributes – sex definitely isn’t one of them. Treating
press technicians, 67% were male She’s thankful, however, that over everyone equally is our priority”.
and 33% female. The same applies to the years she’s seen little more than But what about the top jobs in the sector? Are there enough
printing machine assistants. But some “fairly unharmful banter”, but women in the board room?
when it came to finishing and bind- is “aware of some environments
ing, 74% were male, and of printers, where lines have been crossed”. In In answer to this Thirlby says that there are probably not enough female
76% were male. her view, it all comes down to the print business owners and that this is a part of the sector that is dominated
by men. She thinks firms “should embrace some female influence and
The statistics maybe six years old company culture, training, and man- emotional intelligence in their business operations. This could result in a
but they illustrate the problem. agement. winning situation.” Further, Thirlby believes that “it could potentially
With the background set out, what change the top job sector balance in the future and for some, improve the
do women in the sector think of the The male/female split business organisation as well”.
situation? Printweek spoke to two to Of the split that the BPIF found, But as for attracting women to the shop floor, that, in Thirlby’s view,
find out. Thirlby believes that that ratio was might be more difficult because “a lack of flexibility, unsociable shifts and
probably linked to hands-on printing work conditions deter females from entering operator roles”. However,
Michelle Thirlby Operations roles, print finishing and logistics. from a management perspective, she can see why firms might find it hard
director, InkTec Europe She feels that “in reality there is a to even up the gender balance: “Anyone running a print company will

40 PrintWeek MENA January 2025 www.printweekmena.com