Taking Action on Gender Diversity
By Jennifer Woollett HR Manager HMD Kontro
Key points
Historically, engineering has been a male-dominated industry although encouragingly, more women are now choosing it as their career path. The number of women in engineering roles has almost doubled over the last decade, from 25,000 to just over 50,000 and more than one million women are now working in core STEM roles across the UK.
However, the fact remains that, in the UK, less than 13% of engineers are female and girls and women make up less than 18% of higher apprentices in engineering and manufacturing.
A key barrier has been the perception that engineering roles are better suited to males then females, while working in a predominantly male dominated workplace might also seem intimidating to many women. Lack of confidence is an issue that can discourage women from applying for roles which tend to be challenging and involve working in a high-pressure target-driven environment.
There is also a lingering misconception that engineering roles are mainly “hands-on” and not very glamorous, which is of course, not the case.
Examining the statistics in more depth, evidence is growing that perceptions of whether engineering is a desirable career by teenagers, are also behind the profession’s inability to attract more women, rather than cultural stereotypes alone. This suggests more needs to be done to build up role models to represent engineering as an aspirational and achievable career option for women.
There are several organisations within the UK that aim to encourage and assist women in engineering by offering support networks, events and courses which are helping to redress the balance.
Community support to get young people thinking about engineering
Industry, too, has responded to the challenge. A pioneer of the first magnetic drive pumps in the UK and an Equal Opportunity Employer, HMD Kontro Sealless Pumps is fully committed to encouraging women to embrace engineering as a career choice.
Women in Engineering at HMD Kontro
| Jo Whitling Thirteen years ago, Jo joined HMD Kontro as an Applications Engineer. When an opportunity arose five years ago to train as an EngTech, Jo jumped at the chance. This qualification is a formal recognition of engineering skills and competence and a vital steppingstone towards becoming an Incorporated Chartered Engineer. In September 2020, Jo also started an Electrical Installation course, which she hopes to complete soon. |
| Hannah Verrall Hannah studied engineering at university before joining HMD Kontro as a postgraduate with two years’ experience and now manages a team of six. She is currently studying as a Chartered Engineer (CEng), an internationally recognised qualification. Attaining this status will put her into a very select group, with only 5% of registered engineers and technicians being female, which includes those having achieved Chartered (CEng) status. With a young daughter, Hannah finds the potential for homeworking where necessary an advantage and values the real sense of community and inclusive atmosphere at HMD Kontro. |
As part of a proactive move to attract women into engineering, HMD Kontro became a member of the Women in Engineering Society (WES) in 2019, an organisation that boasts the largest network of women engineers in the UK. A professional network of women engineers, scientists and technologists, which offers inspiration, support and professional development (WES) plays a key role in campaigning for gender diversity in engineering. Several employees from the company have been given annual individual WES membership so that they can reap as much as possible from this prestigious society.
A key benefit of the WES membership is for staff to engage with the Society on their volunteer programme of activities and for representatives to attend the WES annual conferences. Before the pandemic, Jo Whitling went into Hastings College to talk about ‘Women in Engineering’ to the students, an event organised to allow young people to meet professionals and find out more about their work. This is something that Jo and Hannah plan to continue once the restrictions are lifted.
Broadening Horizons
Encouraging women into engineering introduces a diversity of skills approaches and opinions which helps companies deliver better solutions and increase their adaptability and responsiveness.
Working together, as at HMD Kontro, to encourage other women into engineering and demonstrating an understanding of their issues and barriers by sharing experiences and achievements can help young women see engineering as a valid career choice.
