A career in engineering is great for women – how you can enter the industry and inspire change
WHILE engineering-related roles are vital to the UK economy, accounting for one in five jobs, fewer than 16 per cent of the workforce are female.
Outdated stereotypes and a lack of flexible roles for women with care and family commitments mean the number of female engineering staff, dubbed femgineers, is dropping — down from 1,034,000 in 2022 to 996,000 last year.
So what can be done to reverse the trend and help more women choose the industry?
This Sunday is International Women in Engineering Day, designed to highlight opportunities in the sector for female staff.
#Enhancedbyengineering is the theme for 2024, showing what women bring to the roles.
EngineeringUK boss Hilary Leevers said: “We need hundreds of thousands more people working across the breadth of engineering, from creative digital and big data to advanced manufacturing and transport, and especially as we transition to net zero.
“We particularly need more women as they are the most under-represented group in engineering and technology.
“They should have more opportunities to occupy these societally and financially rewarding roles.”
Companies currently targeting female engineers include Veolia, Siemens, British Airways and AtkinsRéalis.
Siemens has pledged to ensure at least 30 per cent of senior management are women by the end of 2025, including the engineering sectors, while BA offers Engineering Taster Work experience days to school and college leavers.
Currently a quarter of job postings are engineering related and demand is predicted to grow faster than for any other occupations.
It’s not just demand for traditional jobs on the rise, as vacancies for “green engineering”’ roles in the UK have increased by 55 per cent in five years.
Paul Gibbens, of recruiters Hays, says: “Vacancies across engineering have continued to increase with requirements for renewables and green energy roles in demand, alongside manufacturing, power, and nuclear jobs.
“Jobs in particular demand are roles such as welders, electrical design engineers, project managers and multi-skilled maintenance engineers.”
Elizabeth Donnelly, of the Women’s Engineering Society, argues against tokenism, saying: “If you’re offered a seat at the table don’t turn it down, even if you think it’s because you’re a token, because you have a seat at the table and you’re bringing that female perspective.”
PASSION FOR THE INDUSTRY
ONE woman making her way in engineering is 28-year-old Zoe Gottlieb.
She is a project manager for Veolia, working on a £27million Southampton hospital decarbonisation project.
The Londoner studied environmental engineering and said: “From the age of 17, I knew I wanted to be an engineer.
“It started during a summer trip to a country in the Middle East, where I witnessed incredible innovations through the use of solar panels and new technology.
“Seeing such creative solutions to problems ignited a passion for engineering that has never waned.
“The skills learnt are valuable and transferable in any professional setting.
“I encourage all women to take a look at iWED and the roles available, and get involved with open days, webinars and workshops to learn more about how engineering can be your next adventure.”
Veolia has 370 vacancies.
Apply at veolia.co.uk/careers.
Jobspot
NOW the sun is finally shining, search out a solar energy job.
There are 500-plus on offer at solarenergyuk.org/solar-skills-london-resource-portal/.
SUMMER SLACKING…
HUNGOVER from yesterday’s big match?
Or sloping off early to enjoy the sunshine?
There’s a term for what you’re up to – summer slacking.
Research from HR software firm Dayforce shows one in three full-time employees admit they’re less productive in summer.
But bosses are wise to the issue, with almost 60 per cent offering some form of seasonal flexibility, including increased WFH chances, “Summer Fridays” where companies clock off early and “work from anywhere” options.
However, a third of staff say summer flex policies do make a firm less productive and 22 per cent say they would like to take advantage of the policies, but are simply too busy.
A Dayforce spokesman said: “While generally seen as positive, summer flex policies can add to stress if not managed correctly.
Jobspot
Mexican restaurant chain CHIPOTLE is hiring crew members and restaurant team members.
Search at /jobs.chipotle.com.
TARGET ‘TRADIES’
ARE you just the woman for the job?
A new online platform has launched allowing customers to exclusively book tradeswomen.
Taskher.co.uk founder Anna Moynihan set up the site with husband Paul while organising building work at their home.
Every time Anna booked a tradesperson for a job or a quote, she found that they would instinctively speak to Paul about what needed to be done, despite her making the booking.
Studies show two in five tradeswomen say they are not always taken seriously because of their gender.
Anna said: “We need more women in the skilled trades industry, not only to address the skills shortage we’re faced with, but to make this industry more accessible and inclusive.”
DANGERS OF ‘TOXIC’ VOTE TALK
WITH the election less than two weeks away, politics is a hot topic of conversation in every workplace.
But increasing numbers of employers are worried about election talk turning toxic.
Here two HR experts give their opinions.
Alan Price, CEO at BrightHR, said: “ Employers have the right to set reasonable rules on political talk and symbols in the workplace.
“It’s important to treat all staff equally – so if you are banning talk and symbols related to one political party, then you should do the same for all parties.
“Make sure you implement any repercussions set out in your policy in the instance of breaches.
“Whichever party forms the next Government, employers must stay vigilant to changes and seek proactive employment law advice to ensure their policies and processes remain compliant.”
Freedom
David Rice, from People Managing People, said: “Under the Human Rights Act 1998, everyone has the right to freedom of expression.
“However, this right is also subject to other laws which restrict certain conduct.
“In simple terms, you can express your political opinion at work, however, there are some circumstances when you may not be able to do so.
“Under the Public Order Act 1986, a person cannot use ‘threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour that causes, or is likely to cause, another person harassment, alarm or distress.’
“So if your political discussions end up getting quite heated, then you could be crossing a line, and your employer could be within their rights to dismiss you.
“Under the Equality Act 2010, you cannot harass or discriminate against employees based on race or nationality, whether this extends to political opinions or not is a blurred line.
“If you post something online that is ‘inconsistent’ with your workplace’s values, it’s important to consider whether your employer could deem the post ‘unauthorised and inconsistent’ with the business’s values.
“If it is, and if it is also being expressed in a violent way, then your employer could again be within their rights to dismiss you.”