GirlsGetSET goes to Italy

We recently met with the two women leading the charge to inspire the next generation of female engineers in Italy. 

Meet Francesca Boffi and Giovanna Perugino, members of the Baker Hughes team in Italy, and STEM enthusiasts.

They led the GirlsGetSET program launch in Italy earlier this year, and now explain how they plan to continue to grow the initiative across the country.

Question: 

Why did you decide to get involved in in the GirlsGetSET program?

Francesca Boffi:

Firstly, I am keen to share with the younger generations that you can do anything when you have passion, determination, and commitment. With the right amount of self-confidence, you can face any challenge. Secondly, the program helps raise awareness about the many opportunities young females can have by choosing a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics); which is hugely important to me.

Giovanna Perugino:

In my role as a government affairs specialist for the Baker Hughes Vibo plant, I care about sharing our social responsibility initiatives with the local communities. As the program encourages local participation, I was excited to run the pilot in our plant when Francesca asked me. I am new to the company, so it was a good opportunity for me to get involved. 

I also believe it is essential for younger girls coming from the southern Italy region, which has historically been economically underdeveloped, to be given the same opportunities as others.

Question:

What activities have you delivered for local students in Italy? 

Francesca:

GirlsGetSET has four key milestones which we align to. The first is a masterclass, then a career spotlight, followed by a project and finally, a graduation day at a Baker Hughes facility. 

The masterclass is a lesson we deliver to the students on a specific topic which is relevant to STEM, and which Baker Hughes has expertise in. This year, in line with our company’s net-zero journey and energy transition strategy we focused on ‘How to address climate change’.  

For the career spotlight, some of our female colleagues shared both their professional and personal experiences throughout their career with the GirlsGetSET pupils. 

For the project we asked participants to analyze the carbon footprint of their school and produce an actionable proposal to reduce it. Finally, on graduation day, all the participating girls presented their projects, received their ‘diplomas’, did a site tour and a fun STEM activity.

Giovanna:

The pilot started in January and culminated with a graduation day in May. 

We chose two middle schools from Vibo Valentia and created two cohorts consisting of 20 girls aged 12 to 14 years. Both cohorts came to our Baker Hughes manufacturing plant in Vibo and some of our volunteers also visited the schools. 

For this local pilot program, we created a framework based on two core ways of learning. 

The first one was developed around ‘theoretical’ and classroom activities, with presentations delivered during the masterclass and career spotlight. We were keen to take an educational approach in the first instance.  

Secondly, to test the reflection skills of participants, we went into the schools to help them prepare to deliver presentations on practical projects to Baker Hughes colleagues from the Vibo plant, local institutions and to their teachers.

On the day, we also included fun activities connected with sustainability such as planting flowers in the local park and taking part in a sustainability scavenger hunt in our plant. 

Question:

What excited you the most about these activities?

Francesca:

I think the girls’ engagement, inquisitiveness, and positive feedback. They not only demonstrated interest in our professional experience but also in our personal stories. 

The career spotlight scored the highest from their feedback. A lot of them mentioned they enjoyed learning about our individual journeys, including our failures and how we’d worked to overcome them. This section of the program resonated with them and inspired them to reflect on their interests and what it means for their career choices. This was one of the most important learnings for me.

Question: 

Could you please explain what Baker Hughes does at the Vibo plant?

Giovanna:

It is the production site for coolers and control units for our turbomachinery equipment which is sold in a variety of applications across the natural gas and new energy value chain. We also develop and test core components for one of Baker Hughes’ compact carbon capture solutions which are then delivered to Baker Hughes’ facilities in Massa and Florence (also in Italy) for further assembly as part of the broader solution under development. 

I wanted to mention that in our facility here in Vibo, we also established a Welding Academy in 2022, designed specifically to attract and develop female talent in the welding discipline, as part of the STEM curriculum. This is quite unique in the south of Italy and has helped us build a track record in empowering career opportunities across a variety of disciplines, from manufacturing to materials science.

You can find out more in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWyuo3pTEAI

Question:

Now you've completed the pilot, what are the future plans for the program? Are you going to keep working with the same schools?

Giovanna:

The pilot was a success, so we are now organizing the second year. Francesca and I presented the pilot to other Baker Hughes Italian plant managers to share the experience with our wider community.  We are now structuring the Italian GirlsGetSET team, recruiting new mentors and coordinators across our facilities. 

Francesca:

Yes, that is right. At this session with all the Italian plant leaders we shared the purpose of the program and key highlights and achievements from our pilot project. 

The plan is to engage local schools and partners this year with the goal of having a wider GirlsGetSET program starting in Italy in 2025.
 

Question: 

Why do you think it's important for companies like Baker Hughes to be involved with the local community with education? 

Francesca:

People first, energy forward is at the very core of Baker Hughes. We believe in making energy sustainable, affordable, and secure and people are key to making that happen. 

Attracting diverse talent is crucial to ensure we drive differentiated ways of thinking and doing things. GirlsGetSET allows young people to get a glimpse of life and work at Baker Hughes, and the many exciting career opportunities they can have in the energy and broader industrial sector. 

Companies with the resources and footprint of Baker Hughes are important to local communities and can act as a model for other local companies to get involved. 

Giovanna:

I like to think it is the company’s responsibility to grow ‘solid roots’ and support local communities where we conduct business. This is part of our DNA and aligned to our values. 

We should inspire future generations and provide opportunities for them. This is why this program is so important in my view, and why I wanted to be involved. 

In the future, we would like to create partnerships with other local companies.

The various regions across Italy are so different. It's important to create a network, a connection with other industries, but united by the same goals.  

Question: 

What do you feel you learned yourself, from the program, from your experience with the GirlsGetSET pilot? 

Giovanna: 

From this program, I learned about the importance of sharing experiences. 

I really enjoyed the career spotlight sessions when colleagues presented their careers to the students. This created a moment where we could all connect, beyond our everyday roles. 

We (Baker Hughes mentors and program coordinators) discovered our ‘human’ side as a team delivering the program. We were all pulled outside of our comfort zone, and it made us stronger as a team. A great learning to take back into our day-to-day tasks too. 
 

Francesca:

This is a project we deliver on a voluntary basis, yet it requires project management skills and a considerable effort and time commitment. It is a fantastic way to expand your network, to talk to different people in and outside the company to set up the activities and various events within the program. 

Personally, I was reminded about creativity! Students and young minds constantly push you to be creative, during the activities, lessons, or site tours. 

And I learned more about communication skills. I am used to talking with people at a professional level, on specific topics. But when you engage with a different audience, it can be a challenging task and a good personal learning experience I will take with me after this year.