Girls’Day 2021: A beautiful film at the Meijer Group.

When you see these images, you would think that we have gone back in time. Turning, sawing, planing and edging were time-consuming operations that could not always be carried out in a safe and healthy way. The old belt-driven machines worked the material as it used to be done, and these operations were often carried out by children. Fortunately, a lot has changed over the years and so has the Meijer Group. Since then, the old operations and machines have been replaced modern ones. Unfortunately, what has not kept up with the times is that there are still too few women in the field of engineering and technology. With this film, we would like to introduce young girls in particular to a modern production company where many different operations are carried out. The Meijer Group has an intensive partnership with Campus Middelsee in Sint Annaparochie (the Netherlands). At this secondary school, young people can choose from a variety of subjects, including Care, Sport & Recreation, Entrepreneurship, ICT and Technology. What were once considered typically male professions, such as police officer, pilot and bricklayer, we now very much want women in the engineering and technology sector, and that starts with good education during preliminary training. Women are important in a working environment because women often look at work from a different perspective from men. They are generally more precise, better at planning and better at administering. Research also shows that mixed teams perform better because these different skills complement each other. The digitisation and automation of operations make working in technology different and no longer requires only physical strength. Unfortunately, we cannot give girls a tour this year, but we hope to encourage this group to make a good choice for a career in technology. As you watch our girls in the video, keep in mind that there are many wonderful career opportunities in the technology industry. Perhaps there is something that interests you and that will enable you to develop and grow. Girls, show everybody that you’re the man...or woman!