More women study engineering – then opt out

Greater numbers of women are taking engineering degrees, though many then launch a variety of non-engineering careers. A study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), found that women students had identified engineering degrees as a good basis for a variety of career paths – but found that the most useful skills on transferring to the workplace were practical and generic ones. Many women questioned in the survey believed they were “more employable” as a result of their gender – and felt that companies were trying to recruit more females in order to improve their image. Professor Barbara Bagilhole (pictured) of Loughborough University, who led the research, said: “A drive to recruit more women into the industry is commendable, but this has had the effect of making them wonder whether they have been employed for their capabilities or their gender.”