International Women's Day - Nadine Bloxsome

How did you come to work for the aluminium industry, and how long has that been? ?

I began my career with Quartz Business Media back in 2011, originally working on a glass manufacturing publication. When an opportunity arose to take on the Editor’s position for its sister publication, Aluminium International Today (AIT), I quickly switched my allegiance from glass to metal! My role with AIT has opened me up to a world of contacts and industry knowledge and over the years, I have helped to create dedicated platforms for representatives from across the aluminium value chain to meet and discuss implementing sustainable technologies, innovative solutions and share case studies and open business opportunities.

In 2022, I was honoured to also take on the position Membership and Sustainability Manager with the Aluminium Federation (ALFED). While my role at ALFED revolves around recruiting new members and supporting existing ones, one area where the association is keen to offer more value to partners and members is through sustainability initiatives and supporting an industrial strategy.

What about the aluminium industry most excites you??

In all honesty, it’s not an industry I would have necessarily steered my career in the direction of, but it has turned out to be an area that I am very passionate about and I feel very lucky to now be able to not only be able to deliver interesting features and news and keep the journalistic fire in me alive, but I am also now in a position with ALFED to work closely with individuals and companies to champion the role of aluminium as a strategic metal of the future.

We know that the aluminium industry is considered to be a male-dominated sector. What do you think is the most pressing issue facing women today in the sector??

I wouldn’t say it is necessarily a case of issues facing women in the sector today, but more what the impact of women in the sector will be in the future and how we can encourage more young women and girls to consider manufacturing as a viable and exciting career option. Even now, when I try to explain to people what I do (I usually have a set 30 second explainer window before people start to glaze over!) it is always interesting to see the look on people’s faces when you highlight the use of aluminium in our daily lives and the huge supply chain involvement with products that we could consider necessities.

We are all aware that there is a huge skills gap issue in this sector, and manufacturing in general, and I would love to see more hands-on education offered at a younger level to all children, to open them up to all the opportunities that come with being at the heart of creating and developing products. It’s a huge challenge and one that I hope our sector can thoroughly throw itself behind to demonstrate just how exciting it can be to be part of something that is shaping the way future generations will live.

?How has the landscape changed since you first started???

I think there has been a very noticeable shift in not only the people within this industry over the last 10 plus years, but also the direction and focus of the sector as a whole. There are definitely more women in leadership positions that when I first started attending industry conferences and there is a much more considered approach now taken to such events like this, that ensure panels and workshops are made up of not only just a diverse make-up of people, but also to bring together roles that might not usually be connected and try to offer a collective view of where we are as an industry and where we need to be.

Who is your role model??

I wouldn’t consider myself to be someone who really has a role model or looks up to one individual. I think I count myself lucky to be surrounded by a core group of strong friends and family, who all have different motivations and goals, which means I am often inspired by their decisions and actions and try to weave as much of their experience and essence into the way I apply myself to situations.

I am also very encouraged by the huge, helpful, network within this industry and know that there are familiar and friendly faces I can usually call on to help with any questions I might have or advice that is needed.

Any advice for young women aspiring to work in the sector??

As cheesy as it sounds, I would really encourage young women to look outside of the norm when starting to consider a career path. The education system in the UK is guilty of funneling people into certain positions and paths, but I would strongly encourage anyone to take chances and risks in areas you wouldn’t normally consider.

One other bit of advice I have always stuck by (probably the journalist in me again) is to never stop asking questions and build up as many contacts in your network as possible. You never know when one of them might come in useful and you might just end up being that person they think of when an opportunity arises, so also never burn any bridges!

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Can you highlight some of your career successes??

This is an interesting question, because it is not something I have really considered before, but on reflection, I feel like I have had some really great experiences already within my career and things keep on surprising me!

I think launching the Future Aluminium Forum back in 2018 was a huge moment for me, as it caused me to step outside of the realms of my solely editorial world and be thrown into creating a conference and event agenda that would offer value to an audience.

?Taking on the role with ALFED was also a huge turning point, as it opened my understanding of the sector and the people working in it daily. I am now able to combine my thirst for news and knowledge with action.

?Most recently, one of my biggest career highlights is being asked to be a Judge for the upcoming Women With Metal Awards, which will take place during the ALUMINIUM Show in October. I can’t really say much more for now, but I’m very excited to be part of it and hope it will help in the long run with my earlier call for more ways to encourage young women into the world of aluminium…so, watch this space!

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