Smash Stereotypes To Bits Extended Version

Duration: 3 mins
Publication date: 09 Oct 2018
Part of series Smash Stereotypes To Bits - Pillow Fight

Abstract

A new campaign has been launched by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) designed to ‘smash stereotypes to bits’ as new research suggests that there is still a disparity between boys and girls considering a careers in STEM.

According to the research, just 26% of girls are looking to pursue a STEM subject as a career compared to 43% of boys, highlighting the stark difference between the sexes in this field.

More than one in 10 girls surveyed say the reason they have opted against pursuing a career in this field is that they believe a career in STEM is more suited towards boys.

It isn’t just girls who have fears over starting a career in STEM. Over a quarter (29%) of respondents who identified as LGBTUA+ opted against having a career in STEM due to worries they would be discriminated against.

The video features five female engineers turning the idea of a ‘pillow fight’ on its head by using their skills in engineering to destroy the pillows. It aims to inspire young people to consider STEM and engineering as a career, as only 12% of those surveyed said their current study of these subjects makes they want to pursue it.

The IET believes that more needs to be done to ensure that STEM is being promoted as a viable career path for everyone, a belief shared by many, with over a quarter of people (27%) surveyed for the campaign saying the responsibility lies with our teachers, and over one in 10 (14%) thinking the Government needs to step in and do more.

The research also looked at the things most likely to encourage young people in considering a career in STEM with the ability to work in interesting fields (34%), the large number of job opportunities available (26%) and greater earning potential (20%) coming out on top.

https://conferences.theiet.org/ywe/campaigns/sstb/index.cfm

Keywords:: #SmashStereotypesToBits

engineers

women in engineering

young woman engineer

Channels

IET News

IET YouTube

Speakers

Ozak Esu

Ozak started work as a graduate engineer for Cundall, a multidisciplinary engineering consultancy, whilst finishing her PhD in electronic and electrical engineering. Her current role involves designing buildings’ electrical services. Ozak Esu, graduate engineer Currently based in Birmingham, 24-year-old Ozak Esu moved to the UK in 2008 to study an IET accredited BEng in electronic and electrical engineering at Loughborough University.Graduating in 2011 with first class honours, she was awarded a research studentship to undertake a PhD, again at Loughborough.“My research investigated the instrumentation of low-cost electronics for vibration-based condition monitoring of wind turbine blades. The motivation for my research was to contribute towards reducing operations and maintenance costs associated with wind turbines,” she explains.
Dr Larissa Suzuki

Dr Larissa Suzuki is a passionate computer scientist, inventor and engineer. She holds a PhD in Computer Science, an MPhil in Electrical Engineering and a BSc in Computer Science.Her professional career includes over 10 years advancing fields of computer science and engineering, including work on smart cities, data infrastructures, emerging technology, and computing applied to medicine.She is currently an Honorary Researcher at University College London and has worked for local government, managing the development of technologies to support London’s growth and infrastructure delivery.Dr Suzuki founded a start-up at the age of 21. Throughout her career, she has received recognition from leading tech companies and universities, among them Google, IBM, MIT, ACM and Microsoft Research.She has published several research papers, spoken at various conferences and organised a Machine Learning workshop at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum 2017.She is also a contributor to the Amazonian Alliance through RedPill Group, which involves designing a technical platform for the conservation of Amazon Rainforest communities.Since 2006 she's been working on increasing the representation of women in Computer Science. She is the founder and chair of the Tech London Advocates group on Smart Cities, founder of UCL Women Engineers, co-organiser of the London Hopper Colloquium, and a committee member of the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing
Ellie Wilson

Ellie is currently employed as an Instrumentation and Control Technician at SemLogistics, an Upper Tier COMAH oil storage facility in Pembrokeshire.Having completed a four year apprenticeship, Ellie is now responsible for installing and maintaining all instrumentation and control systems on site.Find out why she enjoys her role so much..."I work four days per week on site and one day studying at university for my Electronics Degree. I have a good salary, no student debt plus the support and funding from my employer to complete my degree and progress within the company.However, I am the only female technician at SemLogistics - it’s a totally male dominated environment. And, in fact, UK-wide, only 9% of engineers are women.I love my job though and see it as my duty to overturn preconceived ideas about the engineering sector and share my positive experiences. I want to help other girls and women open their minds to consider careers in engineering as I know first-hand what a rewarding and enjoyable career it can be.My role involves working with field instrumentation which measures and reports on the process conditions of the site. The work I do is vital for minimising equipment downtime, therefore increasing productivity and safety on site.At school, I enjoyed the STEM subjects and took physics, maths and biology at A-level. At the time, I had no idea of the career options available in engineering – that doesn’t seem to be taught in school. It was only when I arranged some work experience at a local industrial site that I discovered an interest in instrumentation and control.I come from rural Pembrokeshire in South West Wales where there are limited career options. At school, it was only ever suggested to me that I complete my A-Levels and progress onto an engineering degree at university.I decided to do a bit more research and happened upon an apprenticeship scheme whereby I would gain hands on experience whilst completing academic studies and get paid to do so. This really appealed to me. It has been an incredibly positive experience and, I can confidently say it was the best decision I could have made for my future.It has also given me a springboard to work towards further academic qualifications. I am now completing my degree and have the skills and knowledge to achieve in my career, both practically and utilising theory based knowledge.I am still only 21 years old and I find it rewarding to have the confidence to share my ideas and exceed people’s expectations in a field which is known for being dominated by men.My apprenticeship has provided me with the ideal platform to build my career. I have already achieved so much, and now I am a finalist for the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Young Woman Engineer of the Year Awards 2017, effectively a STEM ambassador, to help inspire other women into the industry. It’s a role I take very seriously and will do all I can to encourage others to consider engineering as a career option."
Nadia Johnson

Nadia, a finalist in the 2016 IET Young Women Engineer of the Year Awards, is a Software Engineer Apprentice at Thales UK, a role which allows her to work within the software application process team while also studying for a degree in software engineering.Nadia’s first project was to introduce a new automated test system to the department based around a technology called Squish: an industry standard toolset provided by froglogic. It was not without its difficulties, as Nadia explains.“The biggest challenge was convincing more experienced engineers to try the new technology, so I took it upon myself to produce how-to videos showing how the toolset could be used for software-wide applications. I was told that videos were new to the company and a great innovation that would be used more widely,” she says.Inspirational activitiesIn addition to her day-to-day job, Nadia has immersed herself in promoting STEM, apprenticeships and women in engineering.“A big passion of mine is pushing the degree apprenticeships and apprenticeships as a whole,” She says. “Yes going to university is a valid option, but apprenticeships are another option that secondary school and college students are often not told about. There is still a big stigma attached to apprenticeships.”As Chair of Thales UK Apprentice Committee, Nadia is giving a voice to apprentices and changing perceptions of apprentices within her company. She has also represented apprentices in discussions in Parliament.On first starting at Thales, Nadia trained as a STEM Ambassador and attended a WISE conference promoting women in science, technology and engineering. These experiences steered her towards further STEM-related activities, including training for delivering information on STEM careers to mothers and their daughters.Route to engineeringNadia refers to a number of people who inspired her to make her particular career choices.“In secondary school, I used to watch YouTube videos from the astrophysicist Michio Kaku. Also my uncle taught me to navigate his boat using the stars. So thanks to the two of them, I developed a love of astrophysics."At college, my physics teacher nominated me to go on a Nuffield research placement, working in a lab for an astrophysicist. There was a lot of computer work and I quite liked applying logic and maths to the tasks. So that’s why ended up going down this route.”Career aspirationsNadia continues to find inspiring role models in the workplace. In fact, one of her main aspirations is to become a role model herself.“When I started my apprenticeship, I was at a low technical level and I appreciated the support of my colleagues, manager and head of department,” she says.“I want to get to that level where I can do the same for other people, take them under my wing and push them forward. That’s my ultimate goal.”
Sophie Caffrey

Leonardo
Sophie Caffrey

Leonardo

Abstract

Channels

Title