Celebrating our commitment to diversity & inclusion at the IChemE Australasia Awards 2024

Beca was proud to be ‘Highly Commended’ at the IChemE Australasia Awards 2024 for our work promoting equality, diversity and inclusion within the engineering profession.

Hosted by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), the IChemE Australasia Awards celebrate chemical engineering excellence and recognise the achievements of chemical, process and biochemical engineers in Australasia.

Beca received a ‘Highly Commended’ accolade under the 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' category at the September 30 awards night on the Gold Coast. This category “recognises the organisation or group that best demonstrates a commitment to promoting or improving equality, diversity and inclusion within its workforce, sector or business practices”. 

In reflecting on this achievement, Kylie Lim – member of the Gender@Beca team said “It’s great to see how passion for a cause, in this case gender equality within engineering, supported with appropriate backing and effort, can positively impact so many people”.

Meanwhile, Kylie Harris – Head of People and Culture Australia said “'I’m really proud of what our proactive and passionate Gender@Beca team have achieved over the past 4 years and are extremely grateful to be recognised by IChemE for all our collective efforts”.

"I’m really proud of what our proactive and passionate Gender@Beca team have achieved over the past 4 years and are extremely grateful to be recognised by IChemE for all our collective efforts" - Kylie Harris

About our entry
Our entry focused on our Australian-based ‘Gender@Beca’ initiative, which aims to increase the representation of female and gender-diverse individuals within the engineering profession.

Gender@Beca was established in late 2020 following employee feedback, and is led by a group of 10 people passionate about gender equality, who wish to improve the representation and connectedness of females within our business. Whilst supported by the broader Beca business, our Gender@Beca team is employee-led and its members oversee its activities above and beyond their main day-to-day responsibilities.

Key initiatives organised by the Gender@Beca team include our successful and ongoing STEAM Partnership with The Mac.Robertson’s Girls High School – whereby our Melbourne office hosts female Year 10 and 11 work experience students – giving them a glimpse into daily life within a busy engineering consultancy. The aim is to encourage young women to pursue a career in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) professions.

Other initiatives include online speed networking events open to all genders which talk about important diversity-related topics, regular coffee catchups, educational forums, our Gender@Beca Women’s Clothes Drive and International Women’s Day Events.

Well done to all fellow 2024 winners and highly commended entries!

About IChemE
Founded in 1922, the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is the UK based and internationally recognised qualifying body and learned society for chemical, biochemical and process engineers. We exist to advance chemical engineering’s contribution for the benefit of society. IChemE members can be found in a wide range of industry sectors, and at different stages of their careers.