Wider approach to women engineers needed
By Khai Trung Le
We typically don’t report on research conducted by other institutes, but this feels like a bi-partisan issue, so to speak. A study from IMechE, ‘Never Too Late: Profiling Female Engineering Apprentices’, suggests that there need to be more avenues to help women to be ‘converted’ to engineering during their school careers.
Specifically, engineering careers initiatives should broaden their targeting to women aged 15-25. Lead author Peter Finegold said, ‘Female engineering apprentices are something of a rarity, but there’s no evidence that they are a “breed apart”. The UK school population may include many more young women who could be attracted to this career route, given the right opportunities.’
IOM3 launched the Women in Materials Group, pictured, in 2012 to provide a focus for women members within the Institute and help support them in their careers. Several successful events have taken place around the UK which have attracted women members at all stages of their career and provided networking opportunities and support for women.
You can learn more about IOM3 Women in Materials at http://www.iom3.org/women-materials-0
