The contribution of women in engineering

IET President Naomi Climer discusses the current position of women in the engineering workforce, and her plans to increase their number

There has never been a better time to be an engineer: demand that far outstrips supply, competitive graduate salaries and fantastic career prospects characterise the engineering profession today.

And yet there is a huge shortage of engineers in the profession and the proportion of women working in UK engineering has remained at less than 10 per during my three decades in the industry.

The lack of gender diversity is contributing to skills shortages that are damaging the economy. The shocking reality is that the UK is missing out on half of its potential engineering and technology workforce by failing to attract women into the industry.

The IET’s most recent Skills and Demand in Industry Survey showed that over half (57 per cent) of businesses in the UK do not have gender diversity initiatives in place and 41 per cent have acknowledged that they could do more to recruit staff from diverse backgrounds.