Minister for Women, Ruth Kelly, announced that these regional organisations are among those who have signed up to the Exemplar Employer scheme. The scheme requires organisations to give a clear commitment to reducing the pay gap between men and women.
Among the first wave of organisations signed up for this status are:
- Alliance and Leicester plc - for its independent equal pay audit.
- Leicester City Council - for its programme to encourage girls and women into the construction industry. The council will be offering woman-only courses in practical skills including bricklaying and plumbing.
- Leicestershire & Rutland Improvement Partnership - based in Melton Mowbray, the partnership already has six female chief executives, which has helped establish a senior women's network to support, develop and offer more opportunities.
- Derby-based Rolls-Royce - for its 'Rolls-Royce women' network which aims to contribute to personal growth and business success of its female employees around the country.
- Northampton based Avon Cosmetics - for its Sales Leadership initiative which gives women the chance to set up their own business and develops new skills. It gives women the opportunity to take ownership for their earnings and flexibly to choose their working hours.
Ruth Kelly also launched and opened bids for a new Quality Part-Time Work Fund available to employers to finance trouble shooters, who will advise on how to create and retain more part time jobs for women at a senior level. The schemes have been created by the government in response to the Women and Work Commission report, which looked at the causes of the pay gap.
Creating a more flexible working world was one of the key recommendations made by the Commission as a way to increase the number of women - and the quality of roles available part-time and flexibly - in the workplace.
Ruth Kelly said:
"Just because a woman trades down her hours does not mean she should trade down her status. The best employers understand the hard headed business reasons for extending quality flexible and part-time roles for women. As take up for the Exemplar Employer scheme proves, there is a huge appetite for change."
"This initiative provides industry with a wealth of information on what really works at a grassroots level. Tackling this issue means giving employers workable solutions for making the most of their female talent, such as the schemes awarded exemplar status, and the funding and guidance available through the Quality Part-Time Work Fund."
Deputy Minister for Women, Meg Munn, told us:
"The business case for making the most of our women's skills is clear - enabling women to move into higher paid-occupations and roles could be worth between £15 billion and £23 billion a year to the UK economy, whilst more than 50% of women working part time are in roles that are below their skill level."
Sir Derek Higgs, Alliance and Leicester plc Chairman, said:
"We are delighted to be awarded this status in recognition of our work towards a more transparent, equal pay system. Alliance and Leicester's approach has been to carry out an independent equal pay audit, the findings of which overall were encouraging and provided direction for future work which we are progressing"
John Rivers, HR Director of Rolls-Royce PLC said:
"The Company is committed to encouraging a diverse workforce and promoting equality of opportunity for everyone. What makes this initiative powerful is that it is employee driven. While 'Rolls-Royce Women' is at an early stage of development, we hope that this network will inspire women within the organisation to maximise their potential and challenge their individual boundaries."
