Next month will mark International Women in Engineering Day and the IET Women in Engineering Conference is being held in honour of the special event.
Prior to both occasions, which are taking place on the 23rd and 22nd June respectively, engineers have spoken out about the lack of women in the industry, including those working in oil and gas engineering, in an attempt to encourage more girls to consider a career in the sector.
Gareth Jones, engineering and technology director at Rolls Royce, told Recruiter that one way to do this is to change the perception of female engineers from the beginning.
“We can have STEM programmes that engage school pupils from a young age; we can target teachers and parents as they have a big influence on children’s perceptions,” he stated.
He noted that gender stereotypes are typically cemented by seven years of age, so it is important to connect with girls prior to this.
Maya Kolaska, business consultant from BAE Systems, added that as well as raising awareness about female engineers “even better is providing role models”.
By showing girls positive female figures in engineering, “the more chance we have of showing the future pipeline that engineering is open to all”.
It is clear something needs to be done to encourage more girls into the sector, as women only accounted for 12.5 per cent of engineering jobs in Britain last year, despite the many skills they can contribute.
The Women in Engineering conference will take place at IET Birmingham: Austin Court and will feature presentations, workshops, panel discussions and speakers aimed at inspiring and attracting more females into the industry.