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New workforce data released today by EngineeringUK reveals the proportion of women working in engineering and technology roles has declined in the past year from 16.5% to 15.7%. In contrast, women make up more than half of the rest of the UK workforce (56.1%).

Further analysis shows the drop is concentrated among women aged 35 to 44. The finding is consistent with registration data published by the Engineering Council which shows the average age of women leaving the profession is 43, in contrast to 60 for men.   

Analysis of the wider UK workforce does not show a similar drop or pattern of women leaving other professions.

It is hoped the data, published by EngineeringUK as part of its annual review of the engineering workforce, will serve as a wake-up call to engineering and technology companies to improve recruitment and retention practice.

EngineeringUK Chief Executive Hilary Leevers, commented, “We are taking this small but significant decline very seriously. Behind the percentages, are professional women with real lives and careers.  The sector as a whole needs to better understand why women are leaving and work harder to improve their retention, including creating opportunities for those who have left the profession to return. The various government skills taskforces must also ensure retention is core to the strategies they are working on.

She added, “Look, there are positives. In 2023 there were more women entering engineering and technology occupations in the 16 to 34 age groups. This indicates more women are entering the workforce straight from education and training. It’s important we drive forward on all fronts – inspiring and recruiting more young people into engineering and technology and then retaining their talent and experience too.

Each and every business leader should take this opportunity to sense check their own recruitment and retention practices and see how they can be improved. I’d encourage employers to look at the good practice out there and to approach organisations like WISE, WES , Equal Engineers and the Royal Academy of Engineering who can all support women and businesses with inclusion and equity in the profession.”

EngineeringUK highlights current good inclusion practice amongst some firms and hopes others, regardless of size, follow their lead.

Diversity and Inclusion Lead at global engineering firm AtkinsRéalis, Rebecca Crowther commented: “In 2022 AtkinsRéalis published its ‘Career Deflection Report’ which brought national attention to some of the issues faced by women who are leaving the engineering profession at twice the rate of men. The findings of the report informed and led change within AtkinsRéalis – including the introduction of flexible bank holidays, enhanced parental leave and targeted training for women at all levels of the organisation – and prompted debate across a sector which must take responsibility and commit to change.”  

Siemens also has a progressive recruitment policy to recruit and retain women and has pledged to see at least 30% of women in top management by the end of 2025.

Carl Ennis, CEO of Siemens in the UK and Ireland, commented: “Having a diverse engineering sector ensures that we are better equipped to address the world’s biggest problems. Major, complex challenges like sustainability requires a variety of minds, and lived experiences, contributing to solutions. It’s why improving gender balance, as one measure of diversity, is vital for the success of organisations across the board. It’s of course not a challenge that any business can resolve overnight but now more than ever, the sector needs to be accelerating efforts not resting on its laurels.”

More detail on the data:

• In 2022, women represented 16.5% of those working in engineering and technology roles dropping to 15.7% in 2023
• In 2022, there were 1,034,000 women working in engineering and technology occupations compared to 996,000 in 2023
• In 2023 there were more women in engineering and technology occupations between the ages of 16 to 34 – indicating that more women are entering the workforce straight from education, but are not being retained 
• Compared to 2022, there were fewer women working in engineering and technology between the ages of 35 and 64 years
• Women make up 56.1% of the workforce of all other occupations but just 15.7% in the engineering and technology workforce
• The decline of women in engineering and tech aged 35-64 is not seen in non-engineering and tech sectors, where retention levels have remained largely static.

For more information and to view the report visit www.engineeringuk.com/women

The Society for the Environment (SocEnv) recently held its annual awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of the environmental professional community at the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Burlington House on Tuesday 4th June.

More than 8,000 environmental professionals meet the required standards to highlight their environmental and sustainability expertise as a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP) or Registered Environmental Technician (REnvTech), but some warrant further recognition for going above and beyond and are commended via the SocEnv Awards. 

A record number of entries were judged this year, which is an incredible step forward and showcases the many outstanding environmental professionals working hard to protect, preserve or enhance the environment.

SocEnv is delighted to announce the highly deserving and exceptional awards winners of the prestigious 2024 SocEnv Awards. 

2024 Rising Star

Winner: Abigail Hancock CEnv (Head of Environment and Sustainability, Linbrooke Services Ltd), Chartered Environmentalist with IEMA

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2024 Environmental Professional of the Year

Runner up: Zebrina Hanly CEnv (Head of Environment and Climate Change, Royal Mail Group), Chartered Environmentalist with IEMA

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Winner: Adrian Mill CEnv (Managing Director, ESS (Environmental and Social Sustainability) + Lion Rouge), Chartered Environmentalist with the Institution of Environmental Sciences (IES)

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Dr Emma Wilcox CEnv, SocEnv’s Chief Executive has said “With more than 8,000 registered environmental professionals around the world carrying out critical work, it’s always a pleasure to showcase extra special achievements with our awards each year. A huge congratulations to all those individuals honoured during this year’s awards and 20th anniversary event.”

As well as announcing the 2024 SocEnv Awards winners, the event also included two panel discussions on SocEnv’s 20^th anniversary and the 2024 World Environment Day theme.

 

New Honorary Fellow of the Society for the Environment

The newest Honorary Fellow (HonFSE) was presented to Martin Baxter CEnv, Deputy CEO at IEMA and a Chartered Environmentalist since 2004.

Martin works in the UK and internationally to support the transition to a low carbon, resource efficient and sustainable economy. He has worked in the sector for over 3 decades and has a wide breadth to his engagement and impact encompassing standards, government, industry, and the media. For all these reasons and more, Martin is a deserving recipient of the Honorary Fellowship.

 

20 years of SocEnv

During the event, SocEnv celebrated 20 years of the organisation and Chartered Environmentalist registration with a captivating discussion panel featuring Dr. Peter Matthews HonFSE CEnv, Professor Carolyn Roberts CEnv, Professor Will Pope HonFSE CEnv, and Dr. Emma Wilcox CEnv. These individuals have played pivotal roles in shaping SocEnv over the past two decades, providing valuable insights and reflections on our journey so far, while also sharing their thoughts on the future of SocEnv and the environmental profession.

 

A showcase of expertise

Focusing on this year’s World Environment Day theme of ‘Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience’, Dr. Katie Medcalf CEnv shared her expertise on the impacts of climate change in the Caribbean Island of Reunion, while Dr. Jane Rickson CEnv discussed HS2 plans for optimising soil profiles for grasslands, a case study in SocEnv’s recently published Soils and Stones progress report and its calls to action on soil health and reuse. The panel also included discussions on water and resilient cities with other leading experts Professor Ian Barker HonFSE CEnv and Will Arnold CEnv. This well-informed panel discussion left all delegates with much to consider.

 

How to catch up with the event 

The panel discussions and full awards event will be available to watch back on our YouTube in the coming days. Subscribe to not miss the launch – Society for the Environment – YouTube

The Engineering Council has contributed to a new set of policy priorities unveiled by the National Engineering Policy Centre (NEPC), led by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng).

In the document ‘Engineering a resilient and prosperous future: policy priorities for the next UK parliament’, the engineering profession is calling for the next government to be bold and take a holistic, long-term approach to tackling complex challenges and building sustainable economic growth, helping to improve people’s lives.

Engineering experts from 42 professional engineering organisations – together representing more than 700,000 engineers across the UK – outline the role of engineering in meeting the UK’s needs. Reversing persistently low economic growth is essential and cannot be done without fostering innovation, supporting small businesses, and investing in strategic sectors. This will enable the UK to tackle climate change, upgrade our ageing infrastructure and build warm and healthy homes.

As well as an ambitious approach to industrial strategy, the NEPC also calls on the new government to create a framework for sustainable economic growth by taking a systems approach to policy, including the commitment to net zero, delivering a National Engineering and Technology Workforce Strategy and futureproof UK infrastructure to deliver sustainable, resilient and healthy spaces.

President of the RAEng, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, said: “More than eight million people work in the UK’s engineering economy and the profession generates up to an estimated £645bn gross value added to the economy annually. For the UK to leverage that impressive engineering and technological strength, the new government needs to pursue a clear industrial strategy, underpinned by large-scale targeted support to key sectors, as many of our competitor nations have succeeded in doing. The choice is clear: we must create an environment that supports companies here, or they will go elsewhere.”

Engineering Council CEO, Paul Bailey, said: “Ethics, sustainability and acting in society’s best interests are already prominent features in the standards the Engineering Council has developed with the engineering profession. At a time when engineers have such a vital role to play in solving complex national and global problems, it has never been more important for us to uphold those standards and live up to the trust society places in engineering.”

To read the full NEPC document click here.

• Only 12% of girls say being an engineer fits well with who they are
• Just 16% of girls think an engineering career is suitable for them
• Opportunities for practical science are particularly important for less engaged students
• Only a quarter (26%) of GCSE students doing practical work at least every fortnight
• Interest in science has declined and a gender gap has opened up
• 36% of girls say science is not for them

A stark gender gap in young people’s interest in engineering and science and a sharp decline in practical science have been identified through a new survey by the Royal Society in partnership with EngineeringUK, with support from Wellcome.

The third Science Education Tracker (it was previously run in 2016 and 2019) included specific questions about engineering for the first time in this 2023 survey. The tracker looked at the responses of 7,000 young people around their attitudes to and experience of science education and careers. The results make worrying reading given current and projected future workforce shortages across engineering and technology.

Engineering careers are seen as creative and versatile by most school students and over half young people believe they could become an engineer if they wanted to. However, interest in engineering careers drops as students progress through school (55% of year 7 students compared to 39% of students in year 13). For those not interested in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) career, girls are more likely than boys to say this is because they don’t enjoy the subjects (57% vs 41%) and that they don’t feel they are good at them (38% vs 20%).

Across all age groups, boys report much higher knowledge of engineering careers than girls and are more likely to say engineering is something for them. Only 12% of girls say being an engineer fits well with who they are compared to 38% of boys. And just 16% of girls think a career in engineering is suitable for someone like them, this is up at 44% of boys.

Doing practical science is the key motivator to learning science (52% of year 7 to 9 students), with girls statistically more likely to say this. Yet, opportunities for hands-on practicals are in decline in school, with only 26% of GCSE students doing practical work at least once a fortnight. 70% of students across secondary schools say they want to do more and the appetite for more practical work is higher among students who are generally less engaged with science. This includes students who say they aren’t interested in science or who see science as ‘not for me’. 32% of young people in years 7 to 13 are in the ‘not for me’ group and this group is more likely to include girls. Indeed, 36% of girls say science is not for them.

Extra-curricular activities boost young people’s interest in continuing their STEM education. Half of students who visited a business said they were inspired to continue with STEM subjects and 45% of those who had a talk at school from someone working in STEM said the same. Yet just 43% of students had STEM extra-curricular activities in the previous year. STEM related work experience is also very low. 15% of young students had done a STEM related work experience, with a further 26% keen to do so but unable to secure a placement.

Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK says: “We need hundreds of thousands more people entering STEM careers to get on track to meet net zero, to improve sustainability, and for the UK to prosper. The findings of the tracker are a serious wake-up call. We need to do more to keep young people interested in STEM as they progress through school and build their understanding of the opportunities available to them.

Government must work on ways to ensure the teaching of science, maths and computer science is more engaging for all students and builds confidence in the subjects, particularly for girls. We must also ensure that all students have careers experiences that highlight opportunities in areas like engineering, that are barely visible in the current curriculum.

The engineering community also needs to step-up and help young people see the range of opportunities for them in engineering and technology. We can inspire them and encourage them to continue with STEM. Where possible we should also be helping to offset the decline in practical lessons by offering hands-on activities.”

Professor Ulrike Tillmann FRS, chair of the Royal Society’s Education Committee, says: “The wonderful thing about science is that it has a practical side. It is not just in your head, you can touch and feel it – whether in the classroom or as part of everyday life. Access to effective hands-on learning that students can tangibly connect to the real world will help make science feel more relevant and meaningful and provide valuable skills for life and work.”

The Science Education Tracker report and further information is available at www.engineeringuk.com/set.

For full details of the awards go to www.ied.org.uk/awards.  Nominations for all five awards are welcomed.  If you have any questions please email ied@ied.org.uk.  

‘SUPPORT, INSPIRE, ACHIEVE’ AWARD receiving the Gerald Frewer Memorial Trophy

The Gerald Frewer Memorial Trophy is presented annually for outstanding contributions in the field of engineering design, design management, education and training or design philosophy. 

Please note: self-nominations ARE NOT allowed for this particular award.

THE HILLS MILLENNIUM AWARD

The Hills Millennium Award is presented annually by the Institution to an international designer who has made a major contribution to the professional areas of Engineering Design, and/or Product Design, which is in line with the aims of the IED. 

Please note: self-nominations ARE NOT allowed for this particular award.

PROMOTION OF DESIGN AWARD

The Promotion of Design Award was introduced in 2009 to award an individual or team for their work in promoting engineering design to a wider audience.

Please note: self-nominations ARE NOT allowed for this particular award.

THE ALEX MOULTON AWARD

The Alex Moulton Award is an award introduced to acknowledge innovation and inspirational design.  Council thought it only fitting that the award be named after Dr Alex Moulton, Honorary Fellow and designer of worldwide acclaim.

Please note: self-nominations ARE NOT allowed for this particular award.

Please send the name of the person/group/product to be nominated along with a summary as to why they have been nominated to ied@ied.org.uk. It would also be useful for you to include links to relevant websites/news articles. We also require contact details for the nominated person/group/designer of the product so that we can contact them to advise if they have been selected as the winner. 

THE GEOFF KIRK YOUNG MEMBERS AWARD

The Geoff Kirk Young Members Award was introduced in 2011 by Professor Geoff Kirk to mark his time as President of the Institution. The aim of the award is to recognise up and coming young members of the Institution, to highlight their career to date and to promote the future of engineering to the wider membership.

A nomination form is available for this award.  Please email ied@ied.org.uk if you would like a copy.

Please note: self-nominations ARE allowed for this particular award.

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF NOMINATIONS – 7 APRIL 2024

Alastair has served in many senior volunteer positions within BCS for the past ten years, and also runs a successful professional services and IT consultancy firm.

Alastair succeeds Gillian Arnold, who remains actively involved with BCS as Immediate Past President. Daljit Rehal, Chief Digital & Information Officer for HMRC, has been appointed Deputy President. His presidency coincides with the 40th anniversary of BCS receiving its Royal Charter from HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Alastair’s extensive experience in information technology means he is a strong advocate for BCS. As well as being on the Board of the Engineering Council, he holds board appointments with other IT organisations, such as the Institution of Analysts and Programmers and the Trustworthy Software Foundation.

Commenting on his appointment, Alastair said “The value of professional registrations – especially Chartered status for technologists – is something I will strongly advocate for, with the support of Gillian, Daljit and the BCS executive team.”

For full details, please visit the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT website.

Could you be recognised in 2024 for your outstanding environmental work?

Do you know a deserving colleague who has recently gone above and beyond to protect or enhance the environment?

The Society for the Environment (SocEnv) is now welcoming nominations for the 2024 edition of the prestigious SocEnv Awards. Recognising outstanding individuals who have innovated, inspired, and have gone beyond what’s expected in their recent work to protect, preserve, or enhance the environment, there are two prestigious awards up for grabs:

2024 Environmental Professional of the Year

2024 Rising Star

This is your chance to inspire the next generation, to recognise the skills of your peers and to remind one another why we’re here, doing what we do and striving every day to make a difference to the environment.

The reining Environmental Professional of the Year is Claire Wansbury CEnv, AtkinsRéalis Fellow and Technical Director Biodiversity. Reflecting on her 2023 achievement a year on, Claire said:

“It was such an honour to win the 2023 Environmental Professional of the Year award. I have been fortunate during my career, and particularly in my current role with AtkinsRéalis, to work on some incredible initiatives and projects. It is easy to take what we do day to day for granted, but we can all make a real difference. For anyone considering applying or proposing a colleague in future for one of the awards, I would absolutely encourage you to do so. It is a simple process and allows us to celebrate the efforts and achievements of our profession.”

2022 Environmental Professional of the Year, Becky Toal CEnv, Managing Director Crowberry Consulting Ltd said:

“It’s a fantastic validation of the creative effort of an environmental and sustainability manager, recognising the valuable input to society and communities of your knowledge, skills, and competencies. As the owner of Crowberry Consulting Ltd, it has led to new business opportunities. For anyone who would like to nominate or self-nominate I encourage you to go for it!”

Video nominations

SocEnv is committed to being an inclusive organisation. We are accepting video nominations again this year to make our application process more accessible to a wider range of professionals. Please visit the SocEnv Awards page for more details on video nominations.

Submit a free nomination

Nominees for both awards must be registered as a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP) or Registered Environmental Technician (REnvTech). However, nominations can be submitted by anyone, including self-nominations.

Visit the 2024 SocEnv Awards page to download the guidelines, find out further details, and to learn more about the previous awards winners.

Submit your nomination here: socenv.org.uk/socenv-awards

Nominations for the SocEnv Awards are open until 09:00 BST on Wednesday 17^th April 2024.

Now is the time to gain some well-deserved recognition! Nominate yourself or a well-deserved colleague for free, today.

The Engineering Council would like to congratulate Dr Kelly Loukatou CEng MIET who has received the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) 2023 Karen Burt Memorial Award for best newly qualified female Chartered Engineer.

The Karen Burt Memorial Award recognises the importance of Chartered status and the award winner’s excellence and potential in engineering practice as well as contributions made in the promotion of the engineering profession.

Dr Loukatou was nominated for the 25th Karen Burt Memorial Award by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) in recognition of her accomplishments in renewable energy projects. She has been involved in both UK-based and international collaborative research and the creation of Long Duration Energy Storage systems to store excess energy created by renewable sources and aid in the take up of renewable technologies. As an Energy Insight Lead, within the Strategy and Regulation Department of the National Grid ESO, she leads energy storage and flexibility activities to design pathways to achieve decarbonisation targets to meet Net Zero in 2050.

Passionate about attracting women to the engineering profession, Dr Loukatou is involved in activities to promote the achievements of her female colleagues at National Grid ESO. She also has a prominent role in an international mentoring programme and was shortlisted for the University of Manchester’s Volunteer of the Year award in 2019.

Nominations for the WES Karen Burt Memorial Award are made by professional engineering institutions (PEIs), who may nominate one newly Chartered Engineer per year.

If you are a female CEng and would like to be considered for the award, please contact your PEI. Nomination forms will be sent direct to the PEIs by WES, but if you have any questions about the Karen Burt Memorial Award or the nomination process, please contact Karen.Burt.Award@wes.org.uk.

The Engineering Council would like to congratulate registrants Titi Oliyide CEng MIET and Adrienne Houston CEng MIET, who were announced as recipients of this year’s IET Young Woman Engineer of the Year Award at a ceremony in London on 7 December.

Titi Oliyide, a Senior Process Safety Engineer at Supercritical Solutions, is the winner of the Young Woman Engineer of the Year Award. Titi’s expertise lies in technical process safety, where she assures and designs safety systems and processes for innovative hydrogen production technology, contributing to the energy security strategy and the UK’s net zero plan for 2030. As an advocate of engineering as a profession, she is actively encouraging more people to pursue it as a career.

Adrienne Houston, owner of Eurovacuum Products Ltd, is the recipient of the Gender Diversity Ambassador Award. Now in its fifth year, this lifetime achievement award recognises Adrienne’s hard work in promoting engineering to young girls from all demographic areas, who want to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers. Supporting gender equality and inclusivity, she ardently contributes to the advancement of women, helping to pave the way for a more diverse and inclusive engineering profession.

We would also like to congratulate finalist, Georgina Andrew EngTech MICE, one of six candidates shortlisted for the Young Woman Engineer of the Year award. Georgina is a Civil Engineering Graduate Apprentice at Amey Consulting, working as a designer for projects covering structural maintenance to major road bridges. She is responsible for providing sustainable engineering solutions that promote safety, journey time reliability and connectivity between areas, improving some of Scotland’s busiest roads. As a STEM ambassador, she has worked on several initiatives promoting the engineering profession to the younger generation.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) celebrates the work of young women engineers for their work in modern engineering and help change society’s perception of a predominantly male-led career by banishing outdated engineering stereotypes of hard hats and dirty overalls. As well as putting the spotlight on talented women engineers, the awards seek to address the science and engineering skills crisis prevalent in the UK by promoting the profession to more young women. According to EngineeringUK, women make up only 16.5% of those working in engineering occupations.

Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the IET, Dr Laura Norton said: “It’s vital we champion engineering careers to the next generation – it’s a diverse, creative and exciting career, which offers the opportunity to change lives, or even the world.”

The full list of award winners and finalists is available on the IET website.