Articles
In Issue 5, 2020, an anonymous reader asked: "What do we need to do to make engineering more inclusive? Why does our medical device small business receive no CVs from female engineers?"
"The engineering industry as a whole needs to do more to promote inclusivity. As with health, safety, quality and business ethics, inclusivity should fall under all parts of STEM activities as a core competence of any engineering business. The UK has to act now by focusing on investment at educational level, businesses need to do more through employee training and awareness and the UK can learn as a whole through other countries as case studies to not only represent women in engineering but black, minority and ethnic communities, disabilities, backgrounds, race and LGBTQI communities."
Simon Donald
"Education and selling are key to driving inclusivity. I have seen a growth in female engineers entering the industry, but in my experience it is still dominated by males. Equality of education and selling a gender-neutral industry have to be the basis for the future. Unfortunately, we as engineers only have limited input on these points – we must continue to try and influence."
Robert Davidson
"How are you perceived regarding flexible working arrangements? Look at where you advertise or present articles."
Caroline Rose
"Perhaps there is an unintentional gender bias in your company’s public image. There are some good online resources for this but you could try targeting your message where you find the demographic you wish to find. This might include increasing your social media presence on specific platforms. To that end you could also try to engage with influencers in engineering (i.e. Mina Dezz) or STEM (i.e. Maddie Moate who has an excellent YouTube presence). Also visibly support a body that engages in this, like techwuman or the Wise Campaign. None of this is a quick fix, but worthwhile."
Chris Elliott
"Communicate, explain, entice, promote. Explain how important and interesting the roles can be. Train hiring managers and HR to recognise that they may have unconscious bias. Ever thought that the job descriptions are in man speak, the closed language of acronyms and aggressive sounding language, typically: Want to join a thrusting organisation, driving innovation and maximising performance etc. What about a more human approach? Adverts sometimes reflect the language that was used in lads’ mags in the 1990s or car magazines."
Dave Hughes
"We do not make it more inclusive, the people coming forward do! Better-tailored advertising is essential. We should do more to push STEM ambassadors forward. The degree of ignorance in schools about what engineers do is extraordinary, and starts with the teachers! What about TV advertisements? Scholarships? Social-media slots? Enthusiastic female engineers and trainees are a pleasure to work with and a source of fresh ideas and approaches. So instead of sitting back and waiting for CVs, go out and look for them!"
Brian McMahon
"I remain convinced that it is because of widespread ignorance of what professional engineers do. We do not all merely repair household appliances. I have witnessed large differences in other countries where engineering is recognised as a profession alongside the likes of medicine and law with a resultant increase in diversity – even among school children’s aspirations to a career in a profession."
Gabriel Izienicki
"Generally poor profile and lack of understanding of what an engineering career entails."
Kay Silver
"I have been a STEM Ambassador for 20 years and I truly believe that promoting the STEM subjects in junior schools is the way forward, engaging their fascination and curiosity in these subjects and where it can take them. It’s also key and I am very passionate about encouraging girls to consider a STEM-related career and the possibility it affords."
Neil Chattle
"Mine doesn’t either.... If you’re serious about this you must get in early. Offer placements to sandwich course students and practise a little positive discrimination. Listen to what the applicants and placement students have to say and try to retain them after graduation."
James Lee
"Engineering is misperceived in the public mind as dirty and manual rather than the creative arena that it actually is and women are not encouraged to view it as a great career choice. Primary Engineer and other similar initiatives are aimed at promoting engineering to a young audience and this along with positive role modelling should help."
Nicola Johnson
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.