All posts filed under: women in engineering

Will.i.am sums up engineering’s biggest challenge 

career guidance / explaining engineering / image of engineering / inspiring the young / shortage of engineers / the status of engineers / Uncategorized / women in engineering

  “most kids today aren’t dreaming of being programmers, scientists or engineers……… but manufacturing gives people dignity and pride that they make things that are needed and desired ” says Will.i.am     That’s why we’re striving to put a spotlight on engineering. We help engineering companies reach out not only to their customers, but beyond – to everyone. engenius-i.com : digital media for engineers by engineers Find out more..

is the financial balance starting to move in favour of engineering?

career guidance / image of engineering / royal academy of engineering / shortage of engineers / the status of engineers / women in engineering

Bonuses up for Scientific and Technical Sector   According to the Office of National Statistics £42 billion of bonuses were paid out in Britain for year ending March 2015. It is significant to note that the biggest sector fall was in the financial and insurance industries where there was a near 10% drop on the previous year. Meanwhile in the rest of this economy  bonuses rose by 9.7% ……   but the sector with the […]

handbags more important than engineering signals business editor

explaining engineering / image of engineering / royal academy of engineering / shortage of engineers / the status of engineers / women in engineering

If ever there was an  indicator of the way UK media view engineering it could be seen in last Friday’s issue of the Daily Telegraph. A single page in the business section presented the year-end figures of two companies.  AIM listed handbag maker Mulberry making £1.9m profit on a turnover of £110m, and FTSE250 WS Atkins the innovative engineering company making £122m profit on a revenue of £1.76bn.   Which gets the most airspace? …. […]

add engineering to alexander mcqueen and the result is awe inspiring

alexander mcqueen / career guidance / explaining engineering / inspiring the young / kate moss / shortage of engineers / V&A / women in engineering

This weekend I visited the Alexander McQueen fashion exhibition at the V&A in London. Creations of an untethered mind realised through immaculate craftsmanship. Well worth a visit!   What’s that got to do with engineering you may ask? Well the highlight for me was the laser technology behind one particular exhibit. A hologram of Kate Moss in a flowing gown, that wafts around her in the wind. She appears from nowhere, and floats before you; […]

engineering explained and potentially careers too

career guidance / explaining engineering / image of engineering / royal academy of engineering / shortage of engineers / the status of engineers / women in engineering

How to encourage the young to delve into Engineering ……… My congratulations go to Imagine Publishing, I’ve just discovered their How It Works series on Amazing Technology. These richly illustrated magazines (not cheap) give an engaging insight into the technology behind a vast selection of gadgets and topical engineering. Most importantly they present the social relevance of engineering and today’s teens want to know the WHY of a technology not just the WHAT.  This is very […]

are the engineering institutions failing their members?

career guidance / engineering / engineering institutions / explaining engineering / mechanical engineers / royal academy of engineering / shortage of engineers / women in engineering

In recent years there have been numerous reports raising concern at the low number of young people entering the engineering professions and analysing various aspects of this topic. Recently two more were issued, this time by the IET and IMechE  Yet while the Institutions flag their concerns, I am beginning to ask myself some fundamental questions as follows: ‘Is the very fact that the situation has been allowed to progressively deteriorate for years, evidence in itself that the Institutions are ineffective in addressing […]

an engineering taster for teens

career guidance / engineering / explaining engineering / image of engineering / inspiring the young / royal academy of engineering / shortage of engineers / women in engineering

One of the great failings of the UK engineering community is its inability to communicate with the young.   In trying to inspire schoolchildren it’s no good just encouraging them to study STEM subjects it’s equally important for them to understand the relevance of what they’re studying to society and a career in the future. This video created by Newcastle University in Australia is an excellent example of how to connect with teenagers, or in […]

don’t knock Jony Ive’s passion

apple / career guidance / engineering heroes / explaining engineering / image of engineering / inspiring the young / jony ive / royal academy of engineering / shortage of engineers / status of engineers / technical middle classes / the status of engineers / women in engineering

Following the recent launch of iPhone 6 and iWatch Yahoo’s Tech Columnist Rob Walker took a tilt at Jony Ive’s video presentations. Now I know they’re high profile (and much mimicked) but we should be applauding Ive’s love of engineering and the way he underlines the skills of the Apple team, not belittling it.  If only there were more such engineers around, particularly here in Ive’s home country the UK. What Jonathan underlines is that […]

so engineers ARE wired differently

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career guidance / explaining engineering / golden circle / image of engineering / inspiring the young / royal academy of engineering / shortage of engineers / simon sinek / social classes / start with why / technical middle classes / women in engineering

When it comes to solving problems engineers are geniuses. Our government and society looks to them to provide solutions to the big issues of the day, be they global warming, power generation, communications, infrastructure and many more. So with such a reputation it’s surprising that there is one dilemma beyond the capabilities of this select group of resourceful thinkers.   “How to attract the young to join their ranks?” Engineers work around systems, facts and figures […]

women don’t talk engineering

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career guidance / engineering heroes / explaining engineering / image of engineering / royal academy of engineering / shortage of engineers / the status of engineers / women in engineering

If the world of public speaking is an indicator of public interests then women and engineering just don’t mix.  Women Speakers has a roster of guest speakers upon which to call. 293 highly articulate women able to present and discuss diverse subjects across 109 categories –  from art and history to gardening, education, fashion, health, business etc.  Yet nowhere does an engineer or engineering feature.  Granted there are commentators with a science background but their […]