Recruiting Girls for Technology

Our annual event “Girls, technology and science” brings industry and girls together in Florø. The goal is to encourage young women to choose an education within petroleum, maritime and other ocean industries.

Eighty girls from the ninth grade in Flora municipality met young female representatives from 11 different businesses or industries during a one-day event 27 October. We arranged the event in collaboration with Maritim Forening Sogn og Fjordane and Flora municipality.

Expected Growth in Ocean Industries

Activities related to future production of oil and gas, ocean farming, ocean energy, deep sea mining and other ocean related industries, will in total need an increasing number of employees in the years to come.

SINTEF predicts a potential sixfold increase in Norwegian maritime production from 2010-2050. This calls for new players and crossover thinking between the different ocean industries. The subsea industry has potential to take part in many ways.

Flora Municipality Contributes

Flora municipality has a position as one of the governments approved Science Municipalities in Norway. – We know that the pupils perform better in mathematics when they experience a practical need for the subject, says Tone Aasrud, Educational Advisor in Flora municipality.

– The proud female physicians, welders, subsea engineers, electricians and the others changed many of the pupil’s thoughts about future education today, Aasrud ends.

Collaboration for Recruitment

In order to strengthen recruitment, we will establish a technology and science group for pupils and students in Florø. This will be done in collaboration with Maritim Forening Sogn og Fjordane and the Florø branch of Bergen University College. The aim is to arrange a monthly meeting, mixing youngsters of different ages and organising visits to different businesses, workshops and porting offshore vessels.

- Hopefully we will encourage some of the pupils to choose an education within subsea, petroleum and ocean industries, says Trond Strømgren, Subsea Innovator at GCE Subsea’s Florø branch.