This paper was presented at the 2008 Engineering Conference - Innovation Good Practice and Research in Engineering Education.
Engineering and engineers should make a critical difference in tackling the big issues facing the UK economy and its future wellbeing. Science and engineering continue to be at the heart of government policies in education and in industry (DFES / DTI 2006). One aspect of the workforce supply to the UK engineering sector could contribute significantly in supporting our future. Measures to break the cycle of under representation of women in engineering education and industry have been developed and supported in isolated pockets for a number of years. There have been many interventions in the past that have been targeted mainly at recruitment and whilst many have not made significant progress on numbers they have made some difference to individuals who may not have otherwise chosen engineering as a career. The recently recognised challenges of climate change may also offer engineering a significant opportunity to draw in more women (UKRC/EPC Global 2007). This paper will highlight a range of current interventions working to improve the diversity of engineering. The paper will outline interventions that could impact at different life stages of girls and women university outreach with schools university education and employment. The paper will explore the challenges still faced measures of success of interventions to date as well as lessons learned to enable engineering to change its face for the wellbeing of the UK in the future drawing on initiatives across the UK.
