Lack of women in engineering and technology says not-for-profit

EngineeringUK have found that women are still significantly underrepresented in engineering and technology.

The engineering charity's conclude that women constitute just 16.5% of the engineering workforce, compared with 47.7% of the general workforce.

They say that impactful STEM outreach activities for girls are vital to address this imbalance.

EngineeringUK Evaluation Manager Anna Horgan-Jones reflects that 'Engineering doesn’t feature highly on school curriculums so high-quality impactful STEM engagement activities are vital in helping to inform and inspire young girls towards these careers'.

Their report into interventions to increase girls' aspirations for engineering and technology careers aims to inform programme design and delivery for STEM engagers, and to identify funding gaps.

The review is split into five main sections including activities for primary school students, programmes designed specifically for girls, role models and mentors, links to higher education and careers and summer camps.

Some of the key learnings highlighted across these sections include:

• Start engaging girls with engineering and technology activities at a young age
• Include activities that challenge gender stereotypes around engineering and technology
• Learn about the needs, interests, and preferences of girls when designing outreach programmes
• Understand the limitations of gender as a binary concept
• The use of role models that are a similar age can help bridge the developmental gap between students and professionals
• Showcase a range of engineering and technology careers

To read the full report: Rapid Evidence Review - Interventions to increase girls’ aspirations for engineering and technology careers