Overview
Women are consistently underrepresented in engineering and technology careers. However, the underrepresentation begins long before reaching the workforce, starting early in childhood and continuing throughout compulsory education. Despite higher attainment rates among girls, it seems that STEM subjects attract fewer girls than boys. This starts at secondary school (GCSE’s/Scottish National 5S and A-Levels/Scottish Highers) and continues into further and higher education (including apprenticeships and degrees).
This report explores perceptions of engineering in young people, and how they differ between boys and girls, using the Engineering Brand Monitor.
Gender disparity in early perceptions of engineering
Who this is for
- Policymakers
- Researchers
- Teachers
- Careers leads
- STEM outreach organisations
Key findings
- Girls report less knowledge about engineering, less engagement with science and engineering activities, and are less likely to see themselves as engineers
- Parents of girls report less engagement with STEM activities with their child compared with parents of boys.
- Girls were more likely to agree that they face more barriers, making it harder for them to get ahead in engineering than boys
- Boys were much more likely to agree that boys would make better engineers than girls
- A significantly higher proportion of boys said they knew about the different types of things engineers can do than girls (61% compared to 48%)
