Women triumph in engineering accolades

The survey – carried out by Atkins in partnership with BP, Rolls-Royce and the Royal Academy of Engineering – asked 300 female engineers what inspires them and how they think companies can work to help attract more females in the future. Although three-quarters said they still saw engineering as a male career, 70% said being a woman made no difference when applying for a job, and a further 17% thought being female actually helped. Martin Grant, chief executive of Atkins' energy business, said: "Encouraging more girls and women into engineering is vital for the future growth of the British economy and the sustainability of many British companies. "These survey results show that engineering is in fact an extremely rewarding career choice for women. However, it also shows that a lack of understanding, awareness and inspiration prohibits girls considering an engineering career, which we in industry must work together to address."