Jobs & Careers with Piers Linney - 103

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ENGINEERING
ngineering offers amazing career opportunities and a huge
range of exciting and interesting jobs, where you can contribute
to life-changing technologies and make a real difference in the
world. It delivers great career prospects - and good salaries. Yet
there are still woefully few females attracted to this profession.
Women make up only 6% of the UK's
engineering workforce - down from 7%
in 2013, according to the 2014 annual
skills survey from the Institution of
Engineering and Technology.
The Royal Academy of Engineering
says the UK needs to at least double the
number of engineering graduates by
2020 to meet demand, with the industry
needing an extra 830,000 professionals
to replace those who left engineering and
construction during the recession. The
Academy believes that many of these
new recruits will need to be women.
Helen Wollaston is director of WISE
(www.wisecampaign.co.uk), which aims
to push the presence of female employees
in engineering up to 30% by 2020.
'The main problem is that girls often
have a limited view of engineering,' she
says. 'The fact that it's both a trade and
a profession, with opportunities at many
levels and across many industries, is
hard to get across. Also, the shortage of
women in engineering means there aren't
enough female role models for them to

aspire to.' A further issue is the lack of
understanding about creative opportunities,
she explains. 'A rt and design is a key part
of engineering, so someone who likes those
subjects and can keep up with maths
could have a great career combining
both. Too few youngsters realise this.'

It starts at school
Getting young people interested in
engineering at school is the first step
towards creating more future engineers,
and this needs to be encouraged by
parents and teachers. 'Research shows
that at least 70% of influence on what
young people wind up doing comes from
parents,' says Wollaston. 'We also need
more schools to encourage more girls
to study physics and mathematics.'
The Women's Engineering
Society (wes.org.uk) has
launched the Sparks
campaign to tackle
this problem, and
encourage girls
who express an

Case study
'The opportunities are limitless - I'm proof of that'

interest in Science, Technology,
Engineering and Maths (STEM) careers.
'When a boy expresses an interest
in engineering, parents and teachers see
this as a "normal" choice and support
his progress in this direction,' says
Dawn Bonfield, President of WES.
'For girls, however, we've found that
the opposite is often true. Rather than
encouraging this choice, girls are
frequently put off by their parents,
teachers and society.
'We at WES would provide
them with information and
advice on careers; also
drawing their attention
to competitions, open
days, exhibitions or shows,
summer schools, home
activities, as well as telling
them about some impressive
role models and talking about
world-changing engineering
projects, both current and in the
past. Giving girls this encouragement
and support will help them progress
towards a career in STEM.'
Many female engineers are also
taking up the mantel to encourage
young women into the field by become
ambassadors of STEM careers, visiting
schools to give lectures about the
opportunties within engineering.
'I am so passionate about the industry
that, for me, the opportunity to speak
to school children, especially girls, and
demonstrate the fantastic careers
available in engineering is very rewarding,'
says one such ambassador: 31-year-old
Natalie Desty, manager at the engineering
recruiting firm, Matchtech. 'It is so
important to dispel the myths and
demonstrate the creative, innovative and
well-paid careers available in the sector.'

National
Women's
Engineering Day
is happening
on 23 June

Danella Bagnall, vehicle programming director at Jaguar Land Rover
'I was strong at maths and
leading the interior team on the
science at school but was
latest Jaguar XJ. And I have continued
unsure of what career path to progress - my most recent assignment
to take, though I wanted to
was leading the body-engineering team
do a degree. My parents
on our new Range Rover.
were both in manufacturing
'The reality is that engineering is not oily
and suggested a technical apprenticeship. and dirty - it's clean and professional.
I found that I could continue my education
This country has a fantastic engineering
while learning new skills and getting paid.
heritage. However, there is now a shortage
'I joined Land Rover, as they offered to
of qualified engineers, which is why we
sponsor me through my degree if I got a
decided to launch the Inspiring Tomorrow's
good result in my A-Level equivalent: ONC. Engineers STEM education programme
Once I was in the automotive industry,
to encourage young people to pursue a
I became hooked. I was sponsored
career in engineering.
through a full-time engineering honours
'Whenever I see a car I have launched
degree with a mechanical bias.
on the road, I get such a buzz that I was
'After graduating, I worked on several
part of the team that brought a clay
interesting projects, including the seats
model to life! The career opportunities in
for the new Land Rover Discovery 3 and
engineering are limitless - I'm proof of that.'

J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 1 0 3
http://www.wisecampaign.co.uk http://wes.org.uk
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