Women with designs on an engineering career

Can a seatbelt launch a career? Eleanor Eyre, head of careers at Engineering UK, believes they can.
“For girls, showing them things that have been designed by and for men — such as seatbelts, construction equipment, smartphones and even the layout of concert venues — demonstrates that they can be part of a much-needed change to make society one that’s designed with everyone in mind,” she says.
But to make this change happen fast enough, tens of thousands more women need to be encouraged to train as engineers.
The sector employs 6.2 million people in the UK, accounting for almost 20 per cent of jobs, but just 15.7 per cent of these are women.
With engineering growing faster than almost every other industry across the UK, experts have predicted a shortfall of up to one million engineers by the end of the decade, seriously hampering economic growth and innovation.
Last year alone, a quarter of all UK job postings were for engineers, but Engineering UK’s science education tracker shows just 16 per cent of school-age girls think engineering is a suitable career for them.
“Engineering is often thought of as greasy pipes and hi-vis jackets, but it’s so much more than that,” says Marisa Kurimbokus, an award-winning female engineer. “Engineers are also in the privileged position of being able to create the future we want to see — the cars we will be driving to the clothes that we wear — and solving the big problems that face society, such as food production or climate change.”
Kurimbokus drives a car she helped to design, and says: “Having personally designed some of the body structure in the back, I know how safe the rear seats are for my baby.”
So what is the best way to encourage more women to take up engineering as a career?
Next week is the annual Tomorrow’s Engineers event, showcasing careers in schools nationwide. Research undertaken for the week highlights that while two thirds of young people are drawn to careers aligned with their passions, 57 per cent know little about post-secondary Stem career paths and 26 per cent of students had been unable to secure Stem-related work experience. About 50,000 children are expected to take part, offering a launchpad into the sector.
The key challenge for educators is to remove what have been described as “damaging and misconceived stereotypes” and showcase the sheer breadth of engineering careers available, from AI and robotics to future cities, transport and healthcare technology.
Industry groups including the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Women into Science and Engineering (Wise) believe progress is being made, pointing to the number of women in Stem occupations doubling to 1.4 million in the past decade.
First held in 1978, the IET’s annual Young Woman Engineer of the Year awards has been instrumental in providing high-profile role models and raising the visibility of female engineers. Dr Laura Norton, head of equality, diversity and inclusion at the IET, says: “It’s fair to say progress has been made but there’s a long way to go to reach gender parity. Visibility and representation matters, so we need to be providing real-life role models for the younger generation.
“It’s vital that we champion engineering careers to the next generation and show them just how exciting, creative and life-changing working in this sector can be.”
Ready to engineer a new career? Here are the key areas to consider.
· You don’t necessarily need top grades in maths and physics to become an engineer. It’s more important to have an aptitude for and interest in these subjects, along with the motivation to come up with creative solutions to problems.
· University is not the only route into the sector. Hands-on vocational courses, such as apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships, as well as post GCSE T-levels, are seen as equally strong qualifications when entering the engineering workforce.
· Engineering is a broad field from cyber and data to chemical, civil projects, industrial, electrical, aerospace and aeronautical. Consider where your core area of interest lies and apply for work experience in a suitable organisation.
· Competitions such as the British Science Week poster competition and the Big Bang Young Scientists & Engineers competition provide a useful platform for school pupils to learn more and see if the career could be right for them.
· Consider support through a bursary. The Amazon Future Engineer Bursary supports female A-level and BTEC/OCR students from low-income households studying computer science or related engineering courses at UK universities.
· Motivez.co.uk provides one-to-one coaching, career development training and meet-ups for people looking for STEM jobs.
Marisa Kurimbokus is a finalist in the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s 2024 Young Woman Engineer of the Year awards. Aged 34, the head of engineering has worked at firms including Triumph Motorcycles, Lyra Electronics and Aeristech, which makes high-speed air compressors for hydrogen fuel cells.
Kurimbokus, from Leamington Spa, said: “It’s a cliché, but no two days are alike as an engineer. I can be involved in developing technical strategy, meeting customers, giving design review feedback, mentoring engineers or supporting hands-on build and test work. It’s exciting and fast-paced but also creative and collaborative.
“There are still some who believe engineering is a job that is only suitable for men. We desperately need a diverse industry to ensure the products that we create are suitable for the whole of society. Everything from our food to aeroplanes is engineered, so why shouldn’t the engineers behind that reflect the make-up of society?”
One in ten workers hired this year have job titles that didn’t exist in 2000, a new LinkedIn report says. New job roles include AI engineer and sustainability manager, with three quarters of business leaders saying the pace of work change is still accelerating. As a result, the skills needed for jobs in the UK are expected to alter 65 per cent by 2030. Janine Chamberlin, country manager at LinkedIn UK, said: “The one thing we can count on in today’s workplace is change.”
Rises to the “real” living wage and the increase in employers’ national insurance contributions announced in the budget means companies are increasingly cautious about the level of their next pay award. The latest Brightmine pay forecast data shows the median pay increase is predicted to drop to 3 per cent in 2025, down from 4.5 per cent this year. A spokeswoman said: “Most organisations are still planning a pay increase next year. However, they will be at a lower level than the previous year.”
One in five employees are considering a career change due to fears that their current roles may be replaced by AI-driven systems. This trend is highest among younger staff with 27 per cent attempting to futureproof their employability, according to Career Wallet, a recruitment platform. Craig Bines, chief executive of Career Wallet, said: “We must ensure that AI tech is implemented in a way that creates trust and provides clear advantages to employees, not just employers.”
When it comes to attracting new hires, EVP is the new VIP. Standing for “employer value proposition”, it defines the culture expectation for new employees, with 45 per cent of hiring managers and recruiters now considering it to be vital to attract top talent. The management consultancy Korn Ferry, which conducted the study, said: “Companies need to deliver on that EVP promise. Say what you mean, mean what you say.”
The Nuclear Industry Association is looking for a chairperson. As the subscription-based primary trade organisation representing the UK’s civil nuclear energy sector, the NIA has 300 member companies across the supply chain.
Its goal is to promote their contribution to the UK’s economy, environment and global ambitions, and to maximising the socio-economic benefits across the nuclear life cycle.
The new chair will play a key role setting the vision and priorities for the NIA as it continues to evolve to meet emerging challenges and opportunities.
The ideal candidate will have significant non-executive and executive experience in the nuclear industry or similar adjacent industries including energy, infrastructure, construction and engineering, with the ability to effectively chair meetings and deliver tangible results. Candidates must also demonstrate successful experience in dealing with government and regulators at a senior level.
However, they should not currently be employed in an executive capacity within the nuclear industry or employed at one of the NIA members.
This commitment is two days a month and is remunerated at around £50,000 per annum.Apply at appointments.thetimes.com by November 24.