DESPITE PROGRESS MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE
New figures reveal an increase of almost 70% in the number of women undertaking engineering degrees in Scotland since the SNP came to office, from 198 to 333.
The figures obtained by the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (SPICe) show positive progress, yet a significant disparity between the number of women going into engineering compared to men, who make up 86.4% of engineering undergraduates in Scotland.
Today, Friday 23 June, marks International Women in Engineering Day, which aims to raise the profile of women in engineering and focus on the career opportunities available in this thriving industry.
Commenting, Kenneth Gibson said:
“While it is really encouraging to see more women studying engineering in Scotland under the SNP, we still have a long way to go to catch up with other European nations in terms of women studying, graduating and going on to jobs in engineering.
“I’d like to highlight International Women in Engineering Day, which takes place today, to focus attention on encouraging more women to consider a career in engineering and acknowledge the successes of those who are already breaking glass ceilings in this industry.
"There is no reason why engineering should remain a male-dominated industry, and I hope more women and girls are inspired into this industry, bringing skills and benefits to our economy.”
ENDS
