Women in Engineering

Categories: Mechanical Engineering, Undergradute

21/07/2021

Women in Engineering

‘Pink and ‘blue’ jobs are being discussed more frequently in society in a bid to close gender gaps in a variety of industries. Mechanical engineering jobs are a sector that is pulling away from a male-dominated environment and is crying out for more women in engineering roles.

According to Engineering UK 2018, only 12.37% of all engineers in the UK are women. There is a clear gap in the industry, but can we resolve this? Between the ages 11-14, 46.4% of girls would consider a career in engineering, but when they reach 18, that number drops to 25.4%.

Britain is already in desperate need of women in engineering, in fact, another 1.8 million new engineers are needed by 2025, meaning that more than ever, women must be encouraged to strive for a career in this sector.

80% of female engineers are either happy or extremely happy with their career choice with 98% finding it rewarding, according to a survey by the Royal Academy of Engineering. So, how do we encourage women to pursue engineering?

Kerrine Bryan, an award-winning chartered electrical engineer, suggests: “We’re losing potential female engineers at every stage of life. It starts from a young age because bias and misconceptions in media and toys often implant ideas into children’s minds that engineering is for men, and involves getting your hands dirty, and fixing things, which doesn’t appeal to girls if they’re brought up to believe they should be quiet, neat and tidy.”

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