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98% of UK female engineers find their job rewarding

10 September, 2013

More than 80% of female engineers in the UK are happy with their career choice and 98% find their job rewarding, according to a new survey conducted by by the engineering consultancy Atkins in partnership with BP, Rolls-Royce and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The survey of 300 female engineers with 165 different job titles working at 90 British companies also found that:

•  although three-quarters believe engineering is still regarded as a male career, 70% say that being a woman makes no difference when applying for a job and, for a further 17%, being female actually helped;

•  79% said their colleagues and employers play an important role in helping them fit their career alongside family life and personal interests;

•  91% cite an inspirational teacher as a reason for choosing an engineering-related career – and it’s not always a physics teacher;

Martin Grant: a rewarding career choice

•  75% report that they were interested in problem solving and fixing things from an early age.

“Encouraging more girls and women into engineering is vital for the future growth of the British economy and the sustainability of many British companies,” says Martin Grant, chief executive of Atkins’ energy business. “There have been many studies into why girls don’t choose Stem (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects at school but we haven’t seen any focused on what inspires the women who do choose a path to engineering, either at school or later.

“These survey results show that engineering is, in fact, an extremely rewarding career choice for women,” he adds. “However, it also shows that a lack of understanding, awareness and inspiration prohibits girls considering an engineering career, which we in industry must work together to address.”




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