Girls' day bij Thales: een introductie van technologie

Today was Girls' day in Hengelo. This day is all about introducing and inspiring girls between the ages of 10 and 15 to technology. Today, students from the Bataafs Lyceum visited our head office in Hengelo, where they were introduced to our products and activities. They were given the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes and see what the daily work of several of our female Thales colleagues entails, who work in various fields such as software engineering, mechanical engineering & radar testing.

The Girls' day

The girls of the Bataafs Lyceum started with a word of welcome by Hanneke van der Lijn (VP HR) and an introduction of Thales by Wendy Grootholt, supported by a Klokhuis film. Afterwards, a tour was organized, during which girls got a look behind the scenes. Through the activities, they learn more about our technologies and meet women who work in technology on a daily basis.

Tour

The girls were allowed to sit behind the controls at the command center in the TACTICOS Experience. In the chemical lab they performed an interesting experiment and discovered how chemical processes contribute to the development of our printed circuit boards. In addition, they were given an explanation about plot tracking in a software engineering demo. During an electronics workshop they were able to assemble a simple electronic circuit. Finally, they were also given an extensive explanation about the climatic, shock and vibration tests that our products undergo before they are ready for delivery. They discovered how we ensure that our equipment continues to function under extreme conditions and even saw a few tests in action.

End of the day

These educational and interactive activities gave the girls a multifaceted view of the possibilities within our company and inspired them to consider a career in technology themselves. At the end of the day, they went home full of enthusiasm. They were enthusiastic about the tour and enjoyed seeing the work of our female colleagues.

A big thank you to the presenters and tour guides who helped out today!

The role of Girls' Day technical studies

Girls' Day is not just an event. Women are still underrepresented in technical professions. Only 8 percent of employees in technology are women. Young people, and women in particular, are not exposed to technology and ICT in education. Following Girls' Day, a third of girls are studying technology. By showing girls at a young age what is possible, we hope to contribute to a more diverse future in technology.