Youngsters reject engineering due to lack of awareness

It is the passion for a particular profession which makes things simple may it be engineering or sports.Parents or elders who are directly indirectly involved in engineering should demonstrate the values & status of an engineer to the youngstars.

It is not only generation of wealth from a specific profession but the development of skill,level of thinking,level of working,moral status are most important aspect of life. Engineers can be innovators & support system to any other profession even to medical science.

Even after retirement an engineer can help the society through his thought process and experience. Technical aspects are similar all over the world but a LAWYER is restricted to a particular country.In that sense opportunities of an engineer is much more wider.



Sandip Roy MIET.

Ironically, I think a few people see these kind of pictures and get inspired. Understanding that women can do the hardwork outside too. I think different people get inspired in different ways...

I don't understand why people get so upset at engineering being seen as dirty, for some of us who work on-site and wear overalls and a hard hat on a daily basis that is the reality of our job as an engineer, we need to be careful not to misrepresent the profession too much the other way.



I also find the snobbery towards tradesmen being called engineers uncomfortable, having worked my way up to engineer from the tools I think that it could be off putting to youngsters looking at apprenticeships as a route into engineering. I have found throughout my career skilled craftsmen who are better engineers than anyone with a degree but that have never wanted the title or the responsibility that the title brings.  



I think there is a need to present a balanced view of engineering as a wide and diverse field, which organisations like the IET fail to do.



On the point of irritating women in engineering photos, women with clean overalls, hair down usually with a clipboards really irritate me, generally looking like they have never set foot on-site before in their entire career. 



Gemma 

Hi Maria,



I understand what you mean. I just thought I'll try and take an alternative view. In all honestly majority of hard hat wearers at construction sites are not even engineers anyway. Same way many many engineers have never worn a hard hat in thier lives. 



I've been to career fairs where I've met 16-19 year olds who have no idea what it really means to be an engineer. 

Hi Maria,



Thank you very much for your comments on this thread. You have made some very valid points and we will continue to monitor the types of images that we publish.



I do, however, feel that it is important to highlight some of the work that the IET does to challenge perceptions within the engineering industry.



There are many organizations, PR Companies that use far too many library images of engineers in hard hats. This is one of the reasons that the on November 6th, the IET launched a campaign called Real Engineer on the IET Twitter page asking, ''Why do people always assume that engineers wear hard hats and boiler suits?''  This campaign was launched in order to challenge some of the stereotypes of hard hats and building sites, not to try and suggest that we all work on them.

 

The IET may use some images of engineers in hard hats, which is a fair representation of a number of sectors within engineering. However, these are not the only images that we use - when we do, these images are usually of real engineers / IET Members that do a lot of work to support the institution and represent that particular field.  For example, the link that you highlighted is, as you know, an image of YWE Award finalist and Ambassador for women in engineering, Roma Agrawal. Roma is also an Associate Structural Engineer for WSP and has worked on the Shard at London Bridge and has done a lot of work for the IET in terms of, encouraging girls into engineering, challenging stereotypes and supporting women in industry.



We also have a role models section on the Women's Network group that represents a growing number of female engineers from different backgrounds / sectors, to help further challenger perceptions and inspire others.

 

Whilst it is important to represent the various roles within engineering, it is equally important not to discriminate against or underrepresent a particular sector.

We will continue to work towards striking a balanced representation.

 

Kind regards,

Jo

I think an interesting theme emerging is that a lot of people do not understand what engineering is. Perhaps this is an underlying issue which is contributing to preventing progress with gender inequality? I don't know - I'm shooting from the hip a bit with that statement



Would it be wild to suggest that the profession could do more to educate the public? Something which I have been working on is a lecture on ground and wall penetrating radar, but pitched at the 'educated layman' level, rather than the high-end research level. The objective is to help the public understand how engineering benefits humanity - in this case landmine detection and anti-terrorism technology - and hope that 50-60 people leave the lecture with more respect and understanding of engineering.



If the public is better educated, surely the change in culture and the message will filter through to children and they will view an engineering career as desirable.



Or do we just accept that the small percentage with an interest in a career are the only ones cut out for it anyway?

If anyone is interested in raising the awareness of some youngsters of engineering, I've recieved a request for someone (preferably a woman) to talk to a group of 6th Form girls interested in engineering at Holyhead school (Birmingham) on 11th December 15:30 to 16:30.  They're looking for a short talk then Q&A.



Anyone tempted?



Thanks



Stephen



PS I can lend you my hard hat if needed.  :-)