Women in Engineering

I’m sure by now you know I am passionate about encouraging more females into the tech sector, and we have discussed in previous columns the approaches that help the issue. One of which is encouraging more young females in and nurturing them to grow and hopefully retain them. I got the chance to speak to not one, but two young females in the technology industry and it was so refreshing to hear some positive aspects and stories of young girls not only working in tech but genuinely enjoying it.

According to the latest statistics by Engineering UK, 42% of girls between 14 and 16 would consider a career in engineering. However, only 12.37% of UK engineers are women. The organisers of Advanced Engineering UK have talked to Dr Lina Huertas, Head of Technology Strategy at The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), about her exciting career and about what educators and employers can do to reduce the gender gap.

Science has been the driving force in the modernisation of the world as we know it, yet science as an industry has failed to adequately diversify with the times. While the new digital age offers opportunities to expand interest in and appeal of STEM careers, many barriers still hinder equitable access for all students.

Manufacturing has been a male bastion for centuries. Over the years this has changed and although there is still a long way to go women are now represented in many manufacturing disciplines. Siemens is constantly striving to build an innovative and diverse culture. With a 78% male employee base in the UK there is still an urgent need to attract women to the company and to engineering and manufacturing in general.

To mark International Women in Engineering Day 2020, Farnell talked to women across its global operations to celebrate their achievements within the industry and discuss key topics such as gender diversity in the workplace. Fourteen women leaders working within Farnell joined the discussion from different parts of the world. The aim of the collaboration was to bring forward their shared experiences, journeys and challenges to help aspiring women who want to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) within their career.

To mark this year’s International Women in Engineering Day (June 23rd), Dame Judith Hackitt, Chair of Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, is calling on female engineers across the UK to join its diverse and talented intake of apprentices, to meet the ongoing challenges that both the sector and UK now face.

Alan Lusty, Founder and CEO of multi-disciplinary engineering business, adi Group, claims his industry must develop a laser sharp focus on inspiring a generation of female engineers, if it is to secure a sustainable workforce.

The Institute of Coding (IoC) has partnered with social inclusion enterprise, Sisterhood, to host a free virtual workshop and inspire young women to turn their passion for social good into a career that sees them at the forefront of change.  

For the fifth year running, members and supporters of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) will be posting photos of #WESLottieTour at work during Tomorrow’s Engineers Week (November 2020) to show the huge range of careers available in engineering.

According to the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), women only make up 12.37% of all engineers in the UK. Considering that a higher number of girls than boys achieve a grade A*-C in all STEM A-Levels except chemistry, there is a clear disjunction when these young girls begin their careers. The engineering industry is often considered stereotypically masculine, and this outdated image may be off-putting to many women who would otherwise thrive in an engineering role.