The Next Generation of Engineers: Why Female Representation is Important
For this year’s International Women in Engineering Day, Techwuman have partnered up with the BSIA to celebrate the contributions of women in engineering and science, and their impact on the past, present and future of engineering.
We aim to inspire the next generation of women to get into a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths), to continue breaking down barriers in the field.
What is INWED?
International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is an annual event dedicated to recognising and celebrating the achievements of women in the engineering field. It also aims to encourage women to consider engineering as a career choice, highlighting the importance of gender diversity in STEM fields.
Founded by the Women’s Engineering Society in 2014, INWED brings visibility to women in engineering, inspiration for the future generation of female engineers and advocacy for gender diversity and inclusion, in a field where women are underrepresented.
Why should women get into engineering?
Crucial to the future of engineering and science, women engineers are involved in creating solutions to extremely pressing issues — whether it’s the next generation of technology or building solutions for a more sustainable future.
Furthermore, diverse teams provide higher levels of innovation and creativity. With a mixture of different perspectives and problem-solving approaches, more effective and clever solutions can be provided.
Finally, it’s important to acknowledge that women are also underrepresented in the STEM field. Addressing the gender gap is key, and an increase in women in engineering provides the generation after them role models and mentors, promoting equity as representation increases.
Getting women into STEM careers
Women can enter and thrive in STEM careers through a combination of education, mentorship, and professional development. T Levels and apprenticeships in the UK are helping to support women, by equipping them with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.
Techwuman aim to encourage the next generation of female engineers through STEM activity days. These are focused in UK primary and secondary schools and are aimed ataddressing the longstanding skills shortage and aging workforce in the UK’s engineering industry. Providing pupils opportunities to think about careers early on, the initiative has been highly successful.
The importance of representation
Challenging norms and inspiring the next generation are two key reasons why representation is important — and why INWED should be celebrated. When women are visible in roles traditionally dominated by men, it dismantles stereotypes about gender roles and capabilities. Furthermore, seeing women in diverse roles provides aspiration to an upcoming generation.
To highlight this, Techwuman’s STEM ambassadors are 70% female, giving young girls the opportunity to interact with relatable role models in the STEM industry.
Collaborating with likeminded workforces
The Royal Air Force continues to recognise the critical important of high-quality youth STEM engagement — which is why Techwuman have chosen to partner with them. From raising awareness about the value of STEM subjects to providing an open space to all genders, the RAF push for engineering’s vitality to maintain their workforce.
Inspiring young people from all backgrounds to continue to study STEM subjects at GCSE level and beyond is key to creating a new generation of future engineers. At the same time, promoting industry diversity through gender representation enables the next generation of engineers to pursue a career of their choice.
Increasing the representation of women in STEM is not only a matter of equity, but also a crucial driver for innovation and progress. The next generation of female engineers can provide diverse perspectives, creativity and unique problem-solving skills — creating inclusive and effective solutions to global challenges.
Together, let’s continue to provide an equal working space for the next generation of engineers.
Today is a day for women to celebrate being strong females, being passionate about something, having a mentally stimulating job and most importantly contributing to improving not just our lives but the lives of our children and the children of the future.
We live in a digital era where we can impact the lives of others across the world through a variety of digital platforms. With the world at our fingertips let’s use it to celebrate this day.
Happy International Women in Engineering Day.
“Become an engineer and improve the world we live in” – Melissa Ahmed