Nissan plans to attract more women to automotive engineering

The initiative, called 'Your Life', will see Nissan working with educators, industry and government to promote science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects to young people in the UK, with a focus on attracting women to engineering careers. Aside from its sales headquarters, Nissan operates three sites in the UK: a leading manufacturing facility in Sunderland, which makes more than 500,000 cars per year; a design centre in Paddington, London; and an R&D hub in Cranfield, Bedfordshire. Nissan has committed to visit over 500 local schools in the next 18 months to promote STEM subjects and engineering careers, and ensure that 15% of recruits for industrial training placements, and 20% of graduate programme candidates within its R&D function, are women. It has also committed to provide financial support for five female engineering A-level students in 2014 and 2015. David Moss, vice president, vehicle design and development at Nissan Technical Centre Europe, said, "Attracting the brightest and best into Nissan is vital to maintaining the quality of our workforce but it is also important that we help young people make informed decisions when choosing their pathways through education. "Young people truly are the future of our business and we are delighted to be making these promises that will ultimately help to open the minds of young men and young women across the UK to the possibility of a rewarding career in engineering."