Encouraging more female PhD students

I would half be tempted to suggest the universities themselves, since its most likely you do a PhD after your degree. Although I guess your issue there is that the other univerisites want to promote their own PhD programmes.

It might be worth reaching out through early careers and outreach/diversity groups within different engineering institutions.

I think those already in industry are less likely to take up PhD's since you are on a reducing cost/benefit slope at that point. I do know of a couple of people that completed a PhD at the same time as working (but that is a lot of work).

It would be interesting to see if the current UK situation has impacted the number of people going on to a masters following their bachelors (let alone PhDs).

Are your PhD's geographically constrained? If they are, they advertising in the local community maybe is an idea? If you want a completely off the wall answer, why not something like mumsnet? For those taking a career break, already having a masters and have the will power to do the PhD. But you would need a very flexibile program to support them.

I would half be tempted to suggest the universities themselves, since its most likely you do a PhD after your degree. Although I guess your issue there is that the other univerisites want to promote their own PhD programmes.

It might be worth reaching out through early careers and outreach/diversity groups within different engineering institutions.

I think those already in industry are less likely to take up PhD's since you are on a reducing cost/benefit slope at that point. I do know of a couple of people that completed a PhD at the same time as working (but that is a lot of work).

It would be interesting to see if the current UK situation has impacted the number of people going on to a masters following their bachelors (let alone PhDs).

Are your PhD's geographically constrained? If they are, they advertising in the local community maybe is an idea? If you want a completely off the wall answer, why not something like mumsnet? For those taking a career break, already having a masters and have the will power to do the PhD. But you would need a very flexibile program to support them.