The perception that engineering is a male-dominated trade is putting women off entering lucrative careers in the oil and gas industry.
A new survey by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers has found that the majority of the public still consider engineering as a male profession.
Up to 66% of the public associate the term ‘engineer’ more with men, with just 27% saying they associated the term equally with men and women. According to the poll, 40% of the public think the current image of engineering is deterring women from the profession, compared with 21% saying it is deterring both men and women.
Captain Mark Hunt, who has become the institution’s new president, said: “I want to use my year as president to demonstrate what engineers have to offer society, and to broaden public awareness of how engineers are improving the world we live in. I also want to help galvanise action to inspire the next generation of engineering innovators and work hard to encourage more diversity in the industry.”
“Women still make up a worrying low proportion of the engineering workforce, at 6%, and I am determined to help break down the stereotypes that are putting women off.”
John McDonald, the UK managing director of oil and gas skills body Opito, admits more needs to be done to attract women into engineering, particularly to the energy industry.
This year, the firm said 18 women completed its modern apprenticeship programme out of 120.
“It is not where I’d like it to be. We want to do better than that,” said Mr McDonald. “This is one of the top priorities for the industry.”
“There’s a cultural and social issue – it is not just about oil and gas, it is right across all engineering.”
He said the industry was working with school careers officers to raise awareness of opportunities for women studying science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) subjects, as well as providing work experience opportunities and sponsoring science and engineering clubs. “We need to start early in schools making sure we let young women know they can do anything they want,” he added.
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