Background
As a world leader in global, mobile satellite communications Inmarsat is acutely aware of the shortage of diversity in the Engineering and Technology sector. Back in 2017 it had a small graduate programme that needed to change if it were to increase diversity and specifically encourage more girls into STEM subjects and develop its offering.

"Insight Days enable school children to learn code, build rocket models and visit operations and control centres"

Hiring an Early Careers Business Partner, it put in place a structured programme in 2018 designed to offer meaningful opportunities with defined outcomes.

Approach
Enhancements to the permanent full time early careers programmes resulted in an established offering in Technology and Engineering, programmes in Finance and Sales and a further programme within IT that is being introduced in 2020. Inmarsat have hired into a broad range of roles offering apprenticeships and in 2019 became a Top 300 Graduate Employer. The diversity has also flourished with 60% of the 2019 intake being female.

Other initiatives included work experience, school visits and partnering with charities around social mobility. Insight Days enabled school children from primary and high schools to learn code, build rocket models and visit operations and control centres at their Head Office. Employees have also been able to bring their children into the office, connecting staff who wouldn’t otherwise have interacted, there was even a Pie the Exec fundraiser, which created a buzz.