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Women in Engineering

International Women in Engineering Day

Thursday 23 June 2022

Women make up around 12% of the engineering sector in the UK.

With a large skills gap looming and the need for a more diverse workforce, it has never been more important to inspire and encourage more people, especially women, to study for and to pursue a career in engineering.

A Royal Academy of Engineering survey showed that 80% of female engineers are either happy or extremely happy with their career choice, and 98% find their job rewarding.

The number of women working in the sector remains low despite the good prospects - engineering students are second only to medics in securing full-time jobs and earning good salaries.

International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is an annual international awareness campaign, developed and coordinated by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) to celebrate the achievements of women in engineering and inspire younger generations.

It was established in 2014 as a UK-wide event, and went global in 2017. It takes place on 23 June annually: the anniversary of the foundation of WES in 1919.

Celebrating Women in Engineering at Bradford

Female staff and students are an integral part of the University of Bradford’s Faculty of Engineering and Informatics.

Find out why more women are choosing careers in engineering.

Athena Swan awards

The University of Bradford has achieved two more coveted Athena Swan Awards.

The awards recognise the University as being a leading example in terms of ensuring women (and men in some departments) are properly represented in the workplace.

The new awards are: a new institutional Bronze Award and a Bronze Award for the Faculty of Engineering and Informatics.

Find out more about our Athena Swan awards.

Athena SWAN Bronze Log

Meet our engineering students and alumna

Our students are the core of the Faculty, they inspire us and we motivate them to build a brighter future.

This is where my life begins

Erika is studying BEng (Hons) Civil and Structural Engineering at Bradford.

"Being a Caribbean girl, we don't have the type of infrastructure and facilities other places in the world may have. Sometimes you have bad earthquakes, poor drainage systems, and poorly built buildings, so I wanted to be able to make a difference."

This is where I challenge convention

Sumaiya is studying BEng Mechanical Engineering.

"My career goal is to work in a green energy field, and I want to do my part to inspire young women to become a mechanical engineer or go into another STEM career."

My job in F1

Stephanie is an alumni of our Faculty (Chemical Engineering) and works in Formula 1 motor racing as Petronas Trackside Fluid Engineer.

"On a typical race weekend, I monitor and analyse the fluids that are sent trackside. I do this to ensure that we are compliant with FIA regulations."

In profile: discover more of our students' stories

Our engineering staff

Women academics, researchers, and technicians in the Faculty are outnumbered by men, but by no means overshadowed. Each is an incredible ambassador for their subjects and an inspiration to the students they teach.

Meet some of our team

Our engineering courses

Careers in engineering are varied and multidisciplinary, and skilled graduates are in great demand. We offer a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in different disciplines of engineering.

Apply now

Find out more about applying to the University of Bradford's engineering programmes.