Women in RACHP Network

The IOR established a network to promote Women in RACHP with the support of the ACR Journal to coincide with National Women in Engineering Day on 23rd June 2016. 

The network is now open to anyone (male or female) working in any RACHP related role such as service & maintenance, design, research, engineering, science, sales, administration, marketing, training, etc. You do not have to be an IOR member to take part.

How you can get involved

If you are interested in the group, join up on LinkedIn to be kept informed of articles, meetings, events and to join the discussion

• Join the LinkedIn Group
• Visit the Women in Engineering Society Website - a source of information for promoting engineering as a career choice
• Watch the WiRACHP Career Development Webinar from the 23rd June 2020
• Sponsors of the network events are sought to help fund speakers and network expenses. if you are interested in becoming a supporter of the network contact ior@ior.org.uk

Upcoming Women in RACHP Activities

4th March 2021 10.30-12.00pm - Webinar

Recruitment and the future of the RACHP industry

For full details of this meeting are available here

With a skill shortage looming in many engineering sectors this webinar will explore the benefits offered by a career in the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump sector. It will discuss how to attract the brightest talent into our industry and the benefits that the apprenticeship scheme offers to both employers and individuals wanting a careering in engineering. 

This meeting is an excellent opportunity to connect with other members of the network and hear from women working in the sector about their experiences of joining the RACHP Industry.  

To receive updates about this and upcoming events join the LinkedIn group.

Supported by:

Women in RACHP Initiatives

Benchmarking the RACHP industry’s benefits and attitudes towards women to close the gender gap

In 2020 the WiRACHP Planning Group undertook a survey benchmarking the RACHP industry’s benefits and attitudes towards women to close the gender gap.

The findings demonstrate the value of a career in RACHP for females and set out a roadmap for attracting more young people into the sector.

Read the full survey report here 

100 for 100 campaign 2019

The 100 for 100 campaign launched by the IOR’s Women in RACHP network has been a great success, generating over 100% increase of the IOR’s female membership.

The campaign, which aimed to reach 100 female members by the 100^th Anniversary of the Women in Engineering Society in June 2019, has been widely held as a great accomplishment for diversity ensuring that RACHP professionals are aware that the IOR is available to all.

The campaign came close to achieving its 100 new member target but the network has got a full schedule of exciting events in the pipeline thus offering further opportunities to promote diversity within the sector. Commenting on this, Sam Buckell said: “ We very much see this campaign as a springboard for things to come, there’s a big appetite in our sector for information and events aimed at diverse audiences and we will make sure we capitalise on the results of 100 for a 100”.

For information about joining the IOR visit the IOR membership page

Women in RACHP Past Events

23rd June 2020  - Career development event 

On the 23rd of June, the IOR Women in RACHP Network held a webinar to celebrate the 2020 International Women in Engineering Day. The webinar gave details of the WiRACHP Network and included an exploration of how a number of  WiRACHP members came to be working in the sector, what paths their careers took and what they enjoy about their diverse roles. Listen to the recording here. 

Sponsored by: 

March 2020 - Women in RACHP Networking Lunch

The network held a Scottish Regional Meeting at the Women in RACHP Networking Lunch hosted by KoolTech at their Glasgow office. 

June 2019  - Women in RACHP Career Development Day

On the 21st June, the IOR Women in RACHP Network held a training day to celebrate the 2019 International Women in Engineering Day. The day included the practical hand-on morning session "Getting to grips with service and maintenance - practical exercises for non-engineers"  The afternoon session explored the topic of Confidence in dealing with difficult and awkward situations.

Sponsored by:          

March 2019 - Women in RACHP Networking Lunch

On the 15th March 2019, the network held its first Scottish Regional Meeting at the Women in RACHP Networking Lunch hosted by KoolTech at their Glasgow office. 

June 2018 - Women in RACHP Career Development Day

On the 22nd June, the IOR Women in RACHP Network held a training day to celebrate the 2018 International Women in Engineering Day. The theme of the 2018 event is ‘Raising the Bar’. The day included a practical hands-on morning session. Followed by an afternoon training event  "Get clear, get confident - a masterclass in gaining focus and staying motivated". 

Sponsored by:              

March 2018 - Breakfast networking meeting

On the 14th March, the Women in Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, and Heat Pumps held a breakfast networking event hosted by Bitzer UK in Milton Keynes.  Delegates heard practical advice from experts on career development and had the opportunity to network with others working in the RACHP sector.  Programme and full details here.

Sponsored by:    

June 2017 - Career development day

As part of the International Woman in Engineering Day on the 23rd June 2017, the Women in RACHP network held a training course focusing on carer development for women from the RACHP sector. The event was hosted by Cool Concerns and offered delegates the opportunity to have hands-on practical experience of working with refrigeration equipment as well as taking part in an interactive afternoon session focusing on personal and career development.

• Read a review of the day by Samantha Buckell,  Chair of the Network

Sponsored by:                

June 2016 - Launch webinar

On the 23rd June 2016 Catarina Marques MInstR held a webinar to provide some background on the role of women in science, engineering and refrigeration careers based on research carried out by the International Institute of Refrigeration as part of a Women in Refrigeration workshop, which looked at global skills shortages in engineering and technical staff, the growing demand for refrigeration professionals and opportunities to increase representation of women in this field.   

• Listen to the webinar here

Need some inspiration from Women working in RACHP?

Read these interviews with Women forging careers in the fascinating RACHP sector published by the ACR Journal http://www.acrjournal.uk/features/category/women-in-acr