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Whose responsibility is it to make sure our workplaces are diverse?

Laura Norton

It’s well known that a diverse workforce leads to better outcomes for an organisation, not to mention fulfilling the basic principle of opportunity and inclusion for all.

So why do we not see greater diversity in engineering and technology?

Diversity should be at the very heart of action in engineering and technology to help us to engineer a better world for all – from the latest in how we use data and insight to account for everyone, through to the end-product that works across the globe to improve lives for all.

The current state of diversity in our industry, in the UK specifically, shows that: 

  1. Women make up 16.5% of all engineers1
  2. 9.9% are from minoritised ethnic backgrounds2
  3. 21% come from lower socio-economic backgrounds3
  4. Disabled engineers make up 11.1% of the workforce2
  5. Over a quarter of LGBTQ+ individuals would never consider a career in the engineering profession for fear of discrimination4

Is it our responsibility to act, or that of ‘the business’?

The IET are working with RS Grass Roots (the Youth Empowerment team from RS Components) and AFBE (the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers) to provide an exciting event to open up discussions. Reflect 2022 is for those making first steps to change in their business, all the way through to active ambassadors of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Join us to hear first-hand the experience from ethnically diverse people as they share their stories, along with top tips from experts on practical ways that you can create a more inclusive business.

If you want to find out more, please join us in person on Monday, 1 August 2022 in London. Register for free: https://Reflect2022.eventbrite.com

1Engineering UK, 2022, 2Engineering UK, 2020, 3Bridging the Gap, Sutton Trust 2022, 4IET, 2019

#Equality Diversity and Inclusion #Race and Culture 

Parents

  • These replies are informative. but more use when combined. Let us cross corellate

      1. Women make up 16.5% of all engineers1
        In 2019 (ONS) 51% of the UK population were female 
        OK so if the role was gender neutral we would expect about equal nos but the split us 83.5:16.5 Maybe we need to ask how we can alter female behaviour to make more of them suitable for undertaking an engineering role ?

      2. 9.9% are from minoritised ethnic backgrounds

        87.2% of the UK population were White, 6.9% Asian, 3.0% Black, 2.0% Mixed and 0.9% Other 
        So this is roughly representative of the national picture.

      3. 21% come from lower socio-economic backgrounds3
        We are missing a figure for comparison here. How many of the full population are in this category?   And then education is a factor, if for example you will not get so many potential engineers in higher education from lower socio economic levels, because as soon as they qualify, they leave that level.


      4. Disabled engineers make up 11.1% of the workforce2

        In 2020 ENEI estimated that 22% of the working age population have a disability
        So that is about half the representative ratio.
        But of course that assumes the disability does not prevent them from taking on an engineering role - any  mental condition that leads to an inability to concentrate may be prohibitive, for example so these should be excluded from the target.



      5. Over a quarter of LGBTQ+ individuals would never consider a career in the engineering profession for fear of discrimination4

        Again we are missing a number. We need the same figures for other jobs/careers where the same sort of thing applies, to see if discrimination in engineering is truly representative of society as a whole or not..

        Mike

Reply

  • These replies are informative. but more use when combined. Let us cross corellate

      1. Women make up 16.5% of all engineers1
        In 2019 (ONS) 51% of the UK population were female 
        OK so if the role was gender neutral we would expect about equal nos but the split us 83.5:16.5 Maybe we need to ask how we can alter female behaviour to make more of them suitable for undertaking an engineering role ?

      2. 9.9% are from minoritised ethnic backgrounds

        87.2% of the UK population were White, 6.9% Asian, 3.0% Black, 2.0% Mixed and 0.9% Other 
        So this is roughly representative of the national picture.

      3. 21% come from lower socio-economic backgrounds3
        We are missing a figure for comparison here. How many of the full population are in this category?   And then education is a factor, if for example you will not get so many potential engineers in higher education from lower socio economic levels, because as soon as they qualify, they leave that level.


      4. Disabled engineers make up 11.1% of the workforce2

        In 2020 ENEI estimated that 22% of the working age population have a disability
        So that is about half the representative ratio.
        But of course that assumes the disability does not prevent them from taking on an engineering role - any  mental condition that leads to an inability to concentrate may be prohibitive, for example so these should be excluded from the target.



      5. Over a quarter of LGBTQ+ individuals would never consider a career in the engineering profession for fear of discrimination4

        Again we are missing a number. We need the same figures for other jobs/careers where the same sort of thing applies, to see if discrimination in engineering is truly representative of society as a whole or not..

        Mike

Children
  • in reply to mapj1
    mapj1 said:
    Women make up 16.5% of all engineers1
    In 2019 (ONS) 51% of the UK population were female 
    OK so if the role was gender neutral we would expect about equal nos but the split us 83.5:16.5 Maybe we need to ask how we can alter female behaviour to make more of them suitable for undertaking an engineering role

    Or there may be other alternatives given that there are engineering sectors which do achieve closer to 50/50 - I work in one of them. My experience is that the behavioural change required is not on the applicants' side...

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