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Engineering companies urged to make room for the “gadget girls”

Engineering companies urged to make room for the "gadget girls"

THE classic stereotype of an engineer – a man who is brilliant at and passionate about technology, but not so good at dealing with people – bears little resemblance to actual engineers or their work. And these stereotypes hamper the engineering profession's efforts to recruit women, according to new research by Dr Wendy Faulkner at the University of Edinburgh.

Faulkner interviewed and observed 66 male and female engineers working in a range of industries and found they were all excited about technology, even though fewer of the women had a "tinkerer" background.
"There are 'gadget girls' as well as 'boys and their toys' in engineering," she said. "At the same time, many different types of men and women enjoy engineering work – very few fit the classic stereotype."

Faulkner said many women who complete engineering degrees do not go onto engineering jobs or leave the industry after only a few years.

"Part of the issue is that women who enter engineering have to become 'one of the lads' in order to fit in. Many subtle aspects of the culture, which may appear trivial individually, when taken as a whole have a 'dripping tap' effect – making it harder for women to belong, and get on in engineering," she said.

"If more women are to stay and progress in engineering workplaces, there is a strong business case for employers to introduce sustained and sensitive diversity training, to raise awareness of these kind of issues and to nurture more 'inclusive' workplace cultures in which everyone is comfortable."