Abstract
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 fear that they would be discriminated against.
A new campaign has been launched by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) designed to alter outdated perceptions within engineering.
According to the IET Skills and Demand in Industry Survey 2017 only 9% of UK engineering organisations actively engage with the Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) and the LGBTQ+ community.
The UK suffers from a huge engineering skills shortage whereby more than 200,00 engineers are required between now and 2024 to meet demand. It is key that we engage with underrepresented groups in order to address this issue and highlight that engineering can be for everybody, regardless of a individuals characteristic(s).
It is crucial that outdated stereotypes suggesting that engineering is only for middle-aged white men are removed and that the profession is seen as inclusive where everybody has equal opportunity to succeed.
Get involved by sharing your story using the #IAmAnEngineer on social media.
