International Women's Day: The Role of Diversity in the Lighting Industry

International Women’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on how the lighting industry continues to evolve and improve. At Telensa, we recognize that a strong, skilled, and diverse workforce is essential to delivering high-quality street lighting and control solutions. The expertise and contributions of professionals from all backgrounds ensure that modern lighting systems effectively serve the needs of communities, contractors, and municipalities.

Why Does Diversity Matter in Lighting?

Lighting plays a critical role in safety, energy efficiency, and public spaces. As technology advances with smart lighting and IoT-based controls, encouraging a broader range of professionals, including more women in engineering, project management, and executive leadership, can help the industry become more innovative, adaptable, and competitive.

Studies have shown that diverse teams:

• Introduce new perspectives that lead to more effective and innovative lighting solutions

• Enhance decision-making processes by considering a wider range of user needs and operational challenges

• Develop inclusive technology that ensures street lighting solutions are practical and effective for all users

Understanding the Talent Gap in Lighting

While the lighting industry has always been built on technical expertise, the demand for innovation continues to grow. Expanding access to skilled professionals, including women, presents an opportunity to strengthen the workforce and ensure the industry's future success.

• Only 10% of the lighting industry workforce is female in technical and engineering roles. 

• Leadership positions remain male-dominated, similar to trends in infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing industries where decision-making roles continue to be held primarily by men.

• According to the World Economic Forum, women occupy 31% of leadership roles globally, with technical industries such as energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure reporting female leadership figures below 20%.

By broadening opportunities for all skilled professionals, the industry can drive efficiency, innovation, and long-term sustainability.

Encouraging a Stronger Workforce in the Street Lighting Industry

At Telensa, we believe that attracting and retaining top talent is critical to the success of street lighting and control solutions.

Our approach includes:

✅ Developing recruitment and training initiatives to attract skilled professionals, including women, into technical and engineering roles in lighting

✅ Fostering an inclusive workplace culture where expertise and performance drive career progression

✅ Providing structured career development pathways to support professional growth and leadership opportunities

✅ Investing in early-career talent, as demonstrated by our HEA Apprentice of the Year—a talented female apprentice at Telensa who represents the next generation of industry leaders

We are proud of the talented individuals across engineering, operations, marketing, and leadership at Telensa, whose expertise continues to shape the future of lighting technology.

Building the Future of the Lighting Industry

The lighting industry thrives on expertise and innovation. To keep progressing, we need a strong, diverse workforce where all skilled professionals can contribute to smart, reliable, and sustainable solutions.

This International Women’s Day, we encourage you to explore career opportunities at Telensa and see how you can make an impact in the industry. Visit our careers page to learn more- https://www.careers.signify.com/global/en/campaigns/telensa

As we recognise International Women’s Day, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering an industry that values talent, growth, and long-term success.