Over one million engineers needed in UK

More than one million new engineers and technicians will be needed in the UK over the next five years, according to research by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

The analysis found that despite the skills shortage, women account for less than ten per cent of the sector's workforce.

Such findings follow from recent research published by the campaign group Wise, which revealed that the UK has the lowest proportion of female engineers in Europe.

June 23rd 2015 marked the second annual National Women in Engineering Day (NWED), designed to showcase the broad range of career opportunities available to girls.

Nayera Aslam, a senior consultant in the transportation sector of the design and engineering firm Aecom, said: "Civil engineering touches every aspect of our lives. From roads and bridges to sewers and water-treatment systems, civil engineers have designed so much of what we depend on day to day.

"Greater diversity is critical. Engineering is all about problem solving. Creativity, ingenuity and lateral thinking are essential skills.

"The greater the diversity - whether in terms of gender, race or background - the better the outcome, I find. We are all the product of our personal and cultural experiences, and we can draw on these diverse backgrounds to be more innovative in solving complex, technical challenges."

Dawn Bonfield, brainchild of NWED and president of the Women's Engineering Society, added that more girls should be encouraged to study Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects, not just to help bridge the skills gap, but also to create better decision making.

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