Renewable energy EPC firm CS Energy has launched an employee-led effort to support and increase the number of women on its team and within the broader renewable energy industry.
A group of female employees launched CS Energy’s Women in Renewable Energy (CS Energy WiRE) program in the spring of 2020. CS Energy WiRE aims to engage the female employees at CS Energy and provide them with the tools needed to grow and advance through a network of support and mentoring. The group is designed for all female employees to collaborate and grow both professionally and personally.
The number of women employed in STEM fields is low, especially in renewable energy. “18 percent of CS Energy’s workforce are women, including 20 percent in our executive team. Our goal is to keep improving participation through this initiative,” said Janani Ramkumar, Director of Pre-construction and founding member of CS Energy WiRE.
CS Energy WiRE plans to increase CS Energy’s ranks of female employees by 10 percent over the next year. The path to achieve that goal involves increasing female participation in career fairs, developing mentorships and encouraging network outside the company walls.
Thus far, the team has led it’s members through internal networking events and an external Town Hall, where female CS Energy leadership joined forces with the National Girls Collaborative Project to encourage women to pursue careers in sustainability, engineering and renewable energy.
“There is so much opportunity for women to thrive in the exciting fields of renewable energy, engineering, and construction,” said Diana Palazzi Mery, Executive Vice President of Accounting & Finance for CS Energy. “We’re working to create a program that we hope will be a powerful tool to advance their success.” Palazzi Mery is the first woman on the company’s executive leadership team, and one of CS Energy WiRE’s founding members.
International Women’s Day is coming up on March 8, 2021.
Read more on diversity in the renewable sector:
Women leaders in the energy sector increased in 2019 but more work must be done – Renewable Energy World
Why women need to consider a career in renewables – Renewable Energy World
