Laing O'Rourke has committed its full support to the government’s ‘Your Life’ national campaign, launched at the Science Museum in London, that is aimed at encouraging greater participation by women and girls in science, technology, engineering and maths.

Amongst a range of pledges, Laing O'Rourke has committed to targets of:

• 30% of the Laing O'Rourke apprenticeship and cadet programme to be women by 2016;

• 40% of undergraduate sponsorship opportunities are offered to women by 2016;

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• 1000 volunteer days over the next 12 months to support outreach programmes with partners such as STEMNET, the Royal Institute of Engineers and others to promote engineering and technology.

Anna Stewart, Group Chief Executive, Laing O’Rourke said: "Opportunities abound in engineering and construction for women with the intellect and ambition to fulfil their potential and help drive our industry forward. The engineering and technology sectors need to be bold and innovative in attracting new talent from all walks of life. That's why I firmly believe that positively promoting workforce diversity through programmes like Your Life will have a transformational effect on the way we respond to the challenges of a post-recession world, driving greater adoption of new technologies and ways of working."

(CD/MH)