Women and Engineering in a Male-Dominated Industry
These days, the “working woman” is starting to see more and more opportunities coming her way.
Since the early 20th century, the professional world has come on leaps and bounds, with typically male-dominated fields welcoming (albeit, grudgingly at first) women to work alongside their counterparts.
The marketing sector is a prime example of these changes. How marketing used to be perceived is perfectly represented through the popular TV series, Mad Men, where quick-fire advertising is just another part of the Man’s World. Today, this sector has seen a surge of the “Marketing Girly”, with matcha-fuelled, trend-setting women taking over the Mad Men era and putting discrimination to bed.
Whilst areas like marketing have come a long way, there are still some sectors, like engineering that have some work to do.
The pathway to a career in engineering is deeply rooted in gender stereotypes, with STEM subjects typically seen as more of a “male” subject area, in comparison to the “feminine” humanities. These age-old societal views are damaging and can have a domino effect: influencing children at a young age, causing women to have less opportunities made available to them and leading to a lack of female representation within the industry.
Thankfully solutions are being worked on, and changes are taking place. As part of our mission to make a difference, we work in partnership with Class of Your Own (COYO) to develop and deliver the award-winning Design, Engineer, Construct! Learning programmes. These are available to schools world-wide, helping introduce the built environment to the younger generation, and educate and train the future workforce.
Acting as an inspiration to all aspiring female engineers is COYO’s Founder and Chief Executive, Alison Watson. Alison’s passion for the construction industry and rise to success is evidenced by the recognition she’s gained over the years, including an honorary fellow and nominated President of the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors - and her MBE for services to education, presented by HM The Queen in the 2018 New Years Honours.
The empowering journey Alison has been on makes her the perfect role model, showing young women across the world that they can succeed and make a real impact in the built environment.
To gain an expert’s opinion, we spoke with Alison about gender equality within the construction industry and how our partnership is making engineering more accessible to young women.
How does COYO create opportunities for young women who might not otherwise consider a future in engineering or construction?
Across the world, engineering and construction sectors are grappling with a shared and chronic challenge: a shortage of skilled professionals equipped to deliver sustainable, resilient infrastructure for a growing and increasingly urbanised population.
Despite countless reports, campaigns and corporate pledges, one truth remains consistent: too few girls and young women are entering the pipeline and even fewer are reaching senior technical roles.
I established Class of Your Own to challenge the status quo. We’ve never waited for the industry to “fix the pipeline” – we just built a new one straight from school through the creation of the Design Engineer Construct! (DEC) learning programme with Training Qualifications UK.
The DEC learning programme is a fully integrated, project-based curriculum that introduces children as young as 11 years old to the full spectrum of roles across the built environment. The difference is in the approach. DEC is not an activity, a one-off workshop or something you’ll find on a careers fair stand, it’s consistent, meaningful education delivered in the school timetable – and soon will be available to even younger children through the launch of Primary DEC.
Over the past 16 years, we've created a global model of early, meaningful engagement with the built environment, equipping young people, especially girls, with the skills, confidence and professional context to see themselves as future professionals. What began in British schools is now starting to inspire students in the Middle East, across Asia and to Australia.
DEC reframes engineering and construction as creative, digital, sustainable and people-focused professions. When young women are invited to design a neonatal unit, plan a community rail hub, or create a net zero home, they see how engineering shapes lives - and how they can lead those changes. Representation matters, but so does relevance. That’s how we reach those who have never seen themselves in STEM.
Have you seen a shift in attitudes within the industry towards gender equality?
There has been progress, but not nearly enough. While many companies now acknowledge the importance of diversity, too often it’s still treated as a marketing or social value exercise rather than a structural imperative. Genuine change requires investment in education, long before recruitment.
Encouragingly, we’ve seen some firms move beyond superficial commitments by actively supporting schools through our Adopt a School scheme. When a company invests time in the classroom – through mentoring, supporting teaching and co-designed learning, they stop being passive observers and become part of the solution. That shift, from outreach to ownership, is where attitudes start to change.
I’ve always challenged those that say getting into schools is difficult; getting out of our schools is difficult! Once you’re in, you’re there for life. It’s as exciting for the professional as it is for the student and teacher because you see your own impact there and then. It’s an incredibly rewarding experience.
What message do you think is important for aspiring female engineers to hear?
You don’t need to ask permission to belong here. You already do.
Engineering is about solving problems, improving lives and building futures. If you care about the climate crisis, public health, housing justice, digital transformation, you’re already thinking like an engineer. We need your perspective, your leadership and your values; you’re the breath of fresh air this world needs (and given the challenges in air quality around the world, it’s something else you can fix!).
How have DEC learning programmes inspired the next generation of female engineers?
By trusting them with real responsibility. We give girls the tools, the context and the confidence to take on challenges that matter to their communities and to the world. The most important thing, however, is that we support their teachers, the unsung ambassadors of our industry, to nurture that talent every day.
We’ve had young women design for COP summits, pitch to city planners and present to global engineers before they’ve sat their GCSEs. Our alumni now study a range of career pathways where engineering is fundamental. They are architects, civil engineers, construction managers and more.
These women understand ‘engineering’ as multi-faceted knowledge and skills, and fundamental to their studies – that’s the key principle of DEC; children and young people study through the lens of different professionals to weave together a foundation that provides them with a holistic approach to the built environment. It gives girls an engineering future that is ‘normalised’ from their first day of school.”
After hearing from Alison, it’s clear that there’s still work to be done before we can see equality within the built environment. But with every female learner our partnership inspires, guides, and shapes, it means that one more step has been taken towards a brighter future.
At the end of the day, the built environment needs women to thrive. Women and diversity bring different backgrounds, perspectives and experiences into a sector that lives and breathes fresh, innovative ideas. The built environment is building the future and society needs inclusivity to make this possible.
Interested in how our DEC learning programmes can unlock pathways to success? Find out more here.