8 MEMBER NEWS Diversity in engineering To coincide with International Women in Engineering Day on 23 June, the IET launched a new video campaign designed to challenge industry stereotypes that might be stifling young people’s career choices. IET smashes stereotypes to bits The #SmashStereotypesToBits video features five women engineers turning the idea of a stereotypical ‘pillow fight’ on its head by using their skills in engineering. It aims to inspire young people to consider a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) related career. The campaign is a response to new IET research, which found that only 12% of young people surveyed said their current studies make them want to pursue a career in STEM. The research also found that just 26% of girls are looking to pursue a career in STEM compared to 43% of boys, which could dramatically impact the diversity of talent coming into the sector. The poll of 13-23 year-olds showed it isn’t just girls who have fears over starting a career in STEM. Over a quarter (29%) of respondents who identified as LGBTUA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender, Undefined, Asexual) opted against having a career in STEM due to worries they would be discriminated against. Jo Foster, IET Diversity and Inclusion Manager, said: “Engineering in the UK suffers from a huge image problem. The research backs up fears that gender stereotyping within STEM careers is alive and well. This, coupled with the fact that there is an estimated annual shortfall of 59,000 engineering and technicians to fill engineering roles, clearly demonstrates a need for action. “The #SmashStereotypesToBits campaign is one of the ways we can achieve this - by flipping stereotypes on their head and spreading the message that engineering is a cool and recognised career choice for women.’’ The video has been watched over 600,000 times across the IET’s social media channels. We also released an extended version of the campaign video on 9 October to celebrate #AdaLovelaceDay - if you haven’t seen it take a look at our social media pages. To find out more about the campaign and video, please visit www.theiet.org/smashstereotypestobits Instrumentation and Control Technician Ellie Wilson joins a ‘pillow fight’ 43% 26% Member News – November 2018 www.theiet.org/member-news