This International Women’s Day, Zitko wants to highlight our work in the continued fight towards achieving greater inclusivity and equal representation in the work environment. As a successful company with over 50% female representation, including at the Senior Management level, Zitko is proof that diversity can only strengthen a business and we remain consistent in our mission to advocate and lead by example in this issue until it is seen everywhere across our industry. 

Even though we don’t directly employ anyone in the fire and security industry, Zitko works hard to place the right candidate in their ideal role with the right company. This is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve as the shortage of available, skilled engineers increases in an industry that already has a huge imbalance in its gender representation. This is where Zitko Talent is driven to make a difference. 

Zitko Talent is a fast-track training scheme that provides the fire and security industry a solution to its talent crisis by providing the first pipeline of the newest generation of skilled engineers, with a specific focus on inclusion and diversity. Though there is more work to be done, Talent is already having an impact on diversity in the sector, training and placing a 15% female representation rate in the last 12 months alone; a huge milestone compared to the wider industry’s 1%. This proves that Talent’s mission of achieving inclusivity isn’t driven by empty words and actionless ambition. To make sure we keep learning how we can do more, we have partnered with a broad set of organisations which include bodies like Girls in Tech, Women in Security and the Institute of Female Engineers. The true impact of the work Talent is doing for diversity and inclusion in the industry might not be clear immediately but already it is being recognised for what it has done, having been nominated for the Outstanding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative award at the 2022 OSPAs.

The common saying “the future is female” is rightly gaining more attention across all industries but never has it been more relevant to the fire and security industry. The sector’s longevity and long term health will stay uncertain unless more skilled engineers are brought in from all backgrounds. It might seem like trying to achieve the impossible, but by taking action now the future of fire and security is one without gender bias.