Supporting Women In Engineering

Women are significantly underrepresented in engineering. The industry must increase engagement from a young age to diversify our workforce.

Engineering makes a significant contribution to the UK economy. In 2015 it generated 25 percent of the UK’s total GDP (£420.5 billion).1 It is therefore essential that we support this industry by supplying both investment and talent in order to enhance its growth and continue to compete with global organizations. Whilst the UK has a strong history of success in engineering, this alone cannot be relied upon to maintain the industry, and without a ready supply of resources, there is always the risk that UK based organizations will move abroad. Earlier this year, Dyson announced that it will be moving its head office to Singapore and, whilst this may be due to the current political landscape, it is clearly more important than ever that we support both new and existing engineering companies to retain and build the industry. One very important consideration is the supply of qualified people to fulfill the wide variety of roles associated with engineering. According to Engineering UK, the annual shortfall of people with the right engineering skills was as high as 59,000 in 2018.1 We must therefore encourage more people to pursue careers in engineering and reach out to new avenues of previously untapped potential.