THE AVIO AERO

PEOPLE’S MAGAZINE

According to our most recent indicators, percentage of women applying to jobs in Engineering at our company in Prague is low but increasing. The team is therefore prone to constantly increase such figures also through dedicated projects and initiatives. 

One of these - already successfully experienced at other Avio Aero sites and being planned further – is the organization of the STEM Days: open doors event hosted in the plant and the offices aiming to welcome young female students interested or involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics studies.

The next event of this kind will take place on November 21st at our Avio Aero Prague site - the turboprop engines center of excellence. It is aimed at welcoming students from the Czech technical universities to come and see first-hand what the professional paths in Avio Aero and GE Aerospace are, and how their talent and skills can influence the aviation sector today and tomorrow.

STEM days are conceived to let attendees familiarize with aircraft engines and how they are assembled, manufactured, and tested. And also, to get in touch with our women experts and leaders who can provide advice and responses to recurrent questions on how to start or grow a career for women aspiring to join the world of engineering, technology design, testing or manufacturing.

For instance, we talked with some of these talented, proficient colleagues – like the Turboprop Flight Safety Leader Zuzana Sekeresova, and young engineers Frederika Sekelova (Lead Configuration Engineer) and Tereza Spicakova (Edison Engineering Development Program) – to learn from their bright careers path and share their own professional experiences.

Zuzana, how did you get to the leading role where you are today?

Zuzana: “Well, the most important thing of all is to know what you want. That’s the key. Once you know exactly what you want, everything is easier. It’s easier to say then to do, especially for a young student, I know. I spoke about these and more topics in a panel discussion at a Woman Engineers Local conference, in Munich in April.”

As an experienced manager, do you see differences between men and women during recruitment and then on the job? 

Zuzana: “I can honestly say that I make no differences, not only in terms of gender but also race, religion, appearance, etc. The only thing that matters to me is whether the candidate is capable of doing the job. However, over the years I noticed that women in general are less willing to take risks. They seek assurance more and sometimes unnecessarily doubt themselves.”

According to some studies, men and women succeed equally at universities but after entering the job market and experiencing gender stereotyping, many women leave or never enter the profession.

Zuzana: “And that’s a shame, we lose talent and potential. I recommend every young female engineer to find a mentor, an encouraging and inspiring figure who is able to support and give strength. And this is something our company can offer – we have a good mentoring program. Engineering team launched the program several years ago to leverage experience from US teams. In Engineering, a part of the technical carrier is the Control Title Holder path. We have wide community of the CTHs who are continuously providing mentoring, available for anyone who is interested. Young engineers are usually searching for advice, looking for technical mentoring where a mentor provides guidance in their daily work, discussing technical topics that are beneficial. We also have mentoring which focuses on carrier or personal growth. Mentoring program can take from 6 months to a year, it all depends on the mentee/mentor time capacity and needs. It is not unusual that a mentor and a mentee become friends.”

Zuzana in Prague shop

Do you think gender inequality is still a topic?

Frederika: “Unfortunately, yes. In today’s society, things are changing but sometimes not as fast as we would wish, and some stereotypes and prejudices are still there. Examples? My first job was at a Czech company with long, reputable history. I was in meetings with other male engineers as a contributor, not a facilitator of the meeting. Still, I was asked to take meeting minutes with a stereotyped comment: ‘You will do it best, as a woman you have a good focus on details!’, they said.”

Tereza: “I have to say I have never experienced any prejudices during my studies, Erasmus program or doctorate, wasn’t treated differently than my male classmates or colleagues. Maybe I was just lucky, or I didn’t perceive it that way.”

Zuzana: “I think such behavior of gender inequality and comments like ‘girls are not good at math’ are more common at primary schools. At least in my own experience. Once I was at high school and then university, I didn’t have any such issues, nor would I accept it.”

Frederika: “We very often ignore, displace or simply forget these little unpleasant events or comments but they can discourage a lot of young talented engineers. Sometimes, you have to be a very strong, self-confident personality not to let them affect you.”

Frederika & Tereza at the ERG's event in Prague

Did it affect you? What was your reaction in the situation you described?

Frederika: “At first, I took it as the task that I was glad to do… I was helping others, right? However, after some time I felt it was not right and later I asked the meeting owner to do it, as it was within his responsibilities. I remember I felt relieved and reflecting on it now, I am glad that even if it took some time, I was not afraid to speak my mind.” 

Frederika, you are also an Avio Aero Women’s Network Leader: what activities is your group engaged in, and you personally?

Frederika: “We are a community of women and allies who are interested in personal and professional growth, we provide a platform to learn from each other, to network and to meet in a safe environment. I am also a co-leader for Women's Network Aerospace Europe Region, spanning across 8 countries and multiple businesses. My focus is to build a connectivity and relationship between Women's Network sites around Europe and raise awareness of activities to other regions with respect to global operations. I became #IAmRemarkable facilitator which is an amazing global movement to improve the self-promotion, motivation and skills and challenge the social perception around self-promotion. By facilitating this workshop at our company, I am helping anyone interested to celebrate their achievements and represent themself with confidence. I had a chance to network and share experience at the Cross-ERG Summit in Atlanta this year, which was an event organized by GE Aerospace to connect all Employee Resource Groups operating globally, where I represented the European and Avio Aero Women’s Network.”

Tereza, what do you like about your work?

Tereza: “I’m happy to be working at Avio Aero for several reasons but the most important to me are the people I work with. I am lucky to be surrounded by open and supportive individuals who are very motivated about what they do. Being around highly experienced people willing to share their knowledge and help the others grow, as well as a group of young people eager to hang out and have fun together, is very enriching.”

You are part of the Edison program. What is it?

Tereza: “The Edison Engineering Development Program, or simply Edison, is a two-year program designed for young graduates seeking further learning and development. We get to work in three different departments of our own choice and attend lectures given by experienced Avio Aero workers. In this way, we have the opportunity to explore a wide range of perspectives: regarding the product, the company, and ourselves – what we can bring to the table.“

Would you recommend working at Engineering here to a schoolmate or friend?

Tereza: “I think that the work here is a great opportunity for people who enjoy technological challenges and want to be in close touch with the products of their work. And who wouldn't like to work on something as cool as aircraft engines, right?“

As diversity is a distinctive trait of our work environment, we gathered insights about the STEM day also from the local Engineering Leader, Michael Hillebrecht, who will be among the leaders available to meet and tour the visitors across the site. Michael is also a Women’s Network sponsor and supporter.

 Michael, how many women do you have in your team and what is your experience with them? Is there anything extra you or People Leaders do to support them and is it actually needed?

Michael: “I am happy that we managed to increase the percentage of female colleagues in Engineering in recent years. However, we need to do more by offering the right opportunities and communicating potentials for women in STEM roles. I really hope the overall number will only keep growing. Why? I’ve experienced teams work better when they are mixed. I am convinced having engaged female engineers in our teams supports effectiveness and problem solving through diverse perspectives.

We support women through Women's network but in general we are merit-based organization, and hire based on qualifications and experience as required by our roles in the organization. I’m proud we are an equal opportunities employer.“