Women currently make just 17% of engineering and technology workforces. Now, industry group ‘The Gender Pathways Collective’ (GPC) has written to the government calling for change.
This inequality issue starts young, before A-Levels are even chosen. By age 18, currently only 26% of those on engineering and technology education pathways are female. The GPC are aiming to raise this to 40% by 2040, with the help of other industry bodies and policymakers.
Improving women’s participation in engineering and technology is not just a tick box exercise – it’s vital for equity and vital to meet workforce needs. An estimated 240,000 people are needed to join the engineering and technology workforce each year up to 2030.
Better participation of women is said to also improve equity in the labour market. If 50% of engineering and technology workforce entrants were women, they would collectively earn around £1 billion more every year, compared with them going into other roles.
Dr Laura Norton, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Director, says:
“In publishing the 40 by 40 blueprint for action, the Gender Pathways collective makes evidenced recommendations for government, particularly the Department for Education. However, cross-departmental work is essential to achieving the change needed to address this gender disparity.
“As a collective, we have today written to the Minister for Women and Equalities and the Secretaries of State in four government departments including the Department for Education. We’re asking for sustained and targeted action that will ensure that girls and young women have greater opportunities to be part of the future engineering and technology workforce.”
The GPC is calling on the Department for Education to ensure that teaching and pedagogy support girls on STEM pathways, alongside asking them to work with other relevant departments to ensure gender-equitable delivery of engineering and technology careers guidance, enrichment and work experience.
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