As part of the School of Engineering and Digital Arts’ commitment to raising the profile and celebrating the achievements of women in science, engineering, digital design and technology, on Friday 21st June 2019, the School will be hosting an all-day enrichment for young women, entitled Women in Research, Engineering and Design (WiRED), to coincide with the International Women in Engineering initiative (23rd June 2019).
Currently, fewer than 10% of the engineering workforce are women, and with a large skills gap in the sector looming, and the additional need for a more diverse workforce, it has never been more important to encourage girls to choose a career in in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM). It is hoped that that the event will highlight awareness of the gender gap in science and enable girls to understand at an early age that technology can be rewarding, can be fun, can be social and that having a background in technology will help them solve the world’s problems more easily.
WiRED will enable Year 9 and 10 students to experience the exciting creative aspects of both engineering and digital technologies, as well as to hear inspirational talks by professionals in these fields. It will also showcase that within a University environment, there is a diversity of possible engineering and technological careers.
The Partnership Development Office are kindly supporting the event, and to-date, two schools have signed up: Folkestone Academy and The Charles Dickens School.