Where are the Women in Engineering?
The amount of women in engineering within the UK is only 11% and this number continues to drop. The UK has the lowest percentage of female engineering professionals in Europe! Meanwhile Latvia, Bulgaria and Cyprus lead with nearly 30%. Not to mention that over recent years, 40% of the female engineering population have left the industry. Why is this?
At an early age, many more girls would consider a career in engineering. 46.4% of girls aged 11-14, 42% of girls aged 14-16 and then only 25.4% of girls aged 16-18. What is the reason for the decrease in interest for a career in engineering with the increase in age?
The Issues Within the Engineering Culture
The first reason may be because of the gender stereotyping that still exists within our industry today. Engineering is still commonly associated with being ‘masculine work’ when this is simply not the case. There is a serious skill shortage caused by the failure to recruit women in engineering within the UK that needs to be filled. Almost 80% of female engineering students graduate with a First or Upper Second and 60.7% of female engineering graduates immediately enter into full time employment. This proves that there is no reason why women cannot thrive in the engineering industry!
Another issue that needs addressing is the culture within engineering. With female engineers graduating with better grades yet holding lower positions within their organisations at the same stage of their careers compared to their male colleagues. There are clearly some deep-rooted issues within the industry that need to be solved.
There is large amounts of evidence that demonstrates that greater gender diversity within the workplace makes companies more adaptable and more productive. To get ahead, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) companies should be recruiting, retaining and developing female talent.
Inclusivity at Round House
With this being said, at Round House, we are determined to create an inclusive and diverse workforce. The only thing that matters to us is your passion for fabrication and ambition to advance your career. As you know, our motto ‘Working Together Winning Together’ is not just for show. We believe that having a team made up of people from all different backgrounds, men and women and with varied experience will only help us grow as a company.
To find out more about issues regarding women in engineering and what is being done to tackle this, click ‘Learn More’ to be taken to the Women in Engineering Society’s website.
Check out our ‘Career’ section to see what we offer and do not hesitate to get in touch. We are always looking for a diverse range of talent to join our team!