Around 26% of our team are women, however only two of those female team members are engineers. When recruiting, the percentage of females applying for engineering roles is almost negligible. A recent article in Engineers Australia’s magazine Create, highlights the need for more females in the industry. Engineers create the future, and our future needs the perspectives of both males and females. It suggests cultural change in the industry needs to happen through:
- Raising awareness of what engineering is and the career opportunities for engineers;
- Challenging the profession’s reputation as a male dominant field;
- Starting early with STEM engagement in primary school.
By year 11, 90% of girls are set on their field of study. We therefore need to invest in STEM engagement early. Our team is working hard at building engagement by:
- Attending career days in schools to highlight engineering as a career;
- Two of our team members, Bernadette McCormack and Brittany Boundy, started a group “Women in the Built Environment (Darling Downs)”, to collaborate and build momentum in attracting more females to the field;
- We provide Awards each year to several schools for boys and girls who excel in STEM subjects.
If you’re interested in resources to get your children considering a career in engineering, please reach out to our team.
