Equate Scotland has created Scotland’s first jobs website tailored towards women in science, engineering, technology and the built environment.

The Equate Careerhub site will promote Scotland’s increasing STEM opportunities to female STEM graduates, returners and women looking to remain in STEM to help tackle the skills shortage and gender gap across these sectors.

The website already has key employers in Scotland involved, including Barclays, FDM, FanDuel and SSE. The Careerhub advertises vacancies across STEM including paid placements, returnships, graduate programmes and full & part-time roles. The Careerhub will work with employers to widen their talent search and will provide a tailored service reviewing recruitment language and recommend good recruitment practice to be more inclusive.

It is estimated that around 25% of the STEM sector workers are women. And, according to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 73% of female STEM graduates leave the sector. Not only is this a waste of talent and opportunity but it jeopardises Scotland’s chances to be at the forefront of global innovation, according to Equate Scotland.

By 2021 more than 70,000 new jobs will have been created in Scotland’s STEM industries alone, and every year 12,800 job vacancies are advertised in Scotland’s digital technology sectors – a third of which goes unfilled (Skills Development Scotland 2016).

Over the 12 years of experience Equate Scotland has leading in this area, employers have said they experience difficulties in attracting and retaining a more diverse workforce, yet there is a plentiful and talented supply of qualified, diverse people. To address the current gender imbalance, employers must review their recruitment practices, provide quality flexible working and create positive and inclusive workplace cultures.

Talat Yaqoob, director of Equate Scotland, said: “This is the first initiative of its kind in Scotland and I am delighted with the response we have had from employers across Scotland who are eager to be involved. Equate Scotland has Scotland’s largest network of women in STEM, reaching thousands of women.

“The Careerhub offers employers a fresh approach towards recruiting talent and presents an opportunity to tackle the skills shortage which is an economic and political priority.”

Emma Corstorphine, talent business partner at FanDuel, said: “We feel this is a great opportunity to target an untapped pool of talent and are really excited to see the applications come through.”

Professor Andrea Nolan, principle of Edinburgh Napier University, commented: “It is rightly an economic priority for Scotland to address the under-representation of women across STEM and this new initiative provides all employers an opportunity like never before; targeted advertising of STEM specific jobs to women to increase the number of applications received from a wider pool of diverse talent.”