Panellists from across the engineering world will convene in London to discuss the role of schools in promoting positive messages about modern, cutting-edge engineering and career opportunities within engineering-related sectors.
On the panel to debate how to attract more women into engineering are Semta CEO Ann Watson, Amanda Foster, SOE lead for Women in Engineering, and Pauline Dawes, CEO/Founder of Somi Trailers and winner of the 2017 UK Women in Innovation Award.
They will be joined by SOE Patron Sir John Parker, Nada Issa, senior mechanical engineer at Chapmanbdsp and Pamela Wilson, engineering manager at BAE Systems. Polly Williams, head of diversity and inclusion at Royal Academy of Engineering, will also be on the panel, alongside Dani Rathke, PCV engineer and IRTEC assessor.
SOE CEO Bruce McGill says: “We are approaching a time of significant technological progression in the UK and the demand for engineering skill sets has never been greater. Now is a great time to join the profession, but the sector needs much greater diversity to thrive and that means changing the narrative that says engineering is more suited to men.
“In order to take the necessary steps towards greater inclusion, we have brought industry-leaders to this event to find some real solutions to this ongoing problem that the industry faces. We will hear from experts who are making a real difference increasing the number of women in the UK’s engineering workforce.”
The event, on 12 November, begins with lunch and networking at 11.30am before the panel starts at 12pm. A Q&A session will take place at 1.45pm and the event will close at 2.15pm. For more information about the event, or to register your interest to attend, visit the SOE website.