Chi Onwurah MP, Labour Shadow Minister for Science, visited Peterborough College, part of Inspire Education Group, on the afternoon of Friday, March 8th, to engage with students and staff around Women and Diversity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in celebration of International Women’s Day.
The visit, proposed by Andrew Pakes, Labour and Cooperative Parliamentary Candidate for Peterborough, highlighted the importance of encouraging more women and girls to pursue careers in STEM fields. Chi Onwurah, with an impressive and established background in Engineering, is a passionate advocate for the green agenda, technology, and STEM subjects and the role they play in developing economic prosperity within our regions.
The passionate MP delivered a speech to staff and students, particularly aspiring girls and women, emphasising the significance of diversity and inclusion in STEM, particularly on International Women’s Day.
Chi Onwurah MP, Shadow Minister for Science, Research, and Innovation, said, “It was fantastic to visit Peterborough College to mark International Women’s Day and learn more about their work to inspire and educate the next generation of women in STEM. I was grateful for the opportunity to speak to students and staff about my own experiences as a working-class, black, female engineer.”
Peterborough has a proud history of engineering and the College’s new Centre for Green Technology will only add to this, helping to support Labour’s missions for growth, clean energy, and opportunity for all.”
Echoing the significant recognition for Peterborough, Andrew Pakes, Labour and Co-operative Parliamentary Candidate for Peterborough added, “Peterborough is a proud, working city with engineering jobs in our DNA. It was great to visit the college with Chi on International Women’s Day to hear more about their work to bring more women into STEM jobs. Our diversity is part of what makes Peterborough such a good city to live in. We now need to ensure that diversity is translated into the jobs and opportunities that help us prosper for the future.”
Rachel Nicholls, CEO of Inspire Education Group, commented, “This visit was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the important role Colleges play in advocating diversity in STEM and in inspiring the next generation of female scientists, engineers, and innovators. We were honoured to host Chi Onwurah MP and engage in discussions that will shape the future of STEM education and careers.”
The event culminated with an exclusive site visit to the College’s exciting new £13.5 million Centre for Green Technology facility, a project aligned with Chi Onwurah MP’s passion for green technologies. The project has been partly funded by Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA), via the Transforming Cities Fund, the Local Growth Fund, and from Peterborough City Council via the Towns Fund and is expected to open doors to students later this year.
