Scottish engineers organise gender equality push

Scottish engineering bodies have launched a campaign to encourage more women to study and work in engineering.

Scottish Engineering and the Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Alliance (Semta) have joined forces with gender equality organisation Equate Scotland to provide small and medium-sized employers with specialist training on creating inclusive workplaces. The project will also highlight good practice in increasing gender equality in engineering and provide an advice line for employers.

According to 2018 data from the Scottish Funding Council just 16 per cent of students studying undergraduate degrees in engineering and technology were women. “We want girls to see their future in this sector, but to do that we need employers to work with us on changing the perceptions of engineering and ensure that women who are currently working in the sector have positive experiences to share,” said Talat Yaqoob, director of Equate Scotland.