On this International Women in Engineering Day, Engineers Ireland is calling on Ireland’s engineering industry to work collaboratively with academia and professional bodies to support and nurture Ireland’s female engineering talent.

With female engineers representing just 12% of the profession in Ireland, latest data from the Higher Education Authority indicates that 23% of engineering graduates are female.

“International Women in Engineering Day provides us with the opportunity to celebrate the significant contribution women in the engineering sector make around the world. This internationally celebrated day also presents us with an opportunity to reflect, and it is clear that more must be done collectively to carve out pathways and to develop supports to increase the number of female engineers working in industry,” commented Caroline Spillane, Director General of Engineers Ireland.

“Breaking down barriers and encouraging girls to enter the profession and young women to remain in the sector is crucial. We believe that more collaboration and creative engagement between professional bodies, engineering organisations and the education sector must take place to support our talented and qualified female engineers and to prevent quality engineers leaving the profession,” Ms Spillane added.

To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day, Engineers Ireland will host a free webinar on the topic of Innovators and Inventors today at 12 noon today. Theresa Askins and Stephanie Quinn from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care will discuss their career journey to date and share advice on ‘inventing yourself and your brand’. Engineers Ireland’s STEPS programme has also created new resources for families to discover Ireland’s engineering and heritage history through free to download engineering challenge packs, filled with hands-on activities and based on three of Ireland’s heritage sites – Parke’s Castle, the Hill of Tara and the Rock of Cashel.

Concluding, Ms Spillane encouraged all members of the engineering profession to join Engineers Ireland’s Women in Engineering Group and to play an active role in supporting Ireland’s future female talent: “Whether early career engineers or senior leaders, all engineers should play their role as allies for their female counterparts. I would encourage all engineers to join Engineers Ireland’s Women in Engineering Group and to actively volunteer with our STEPS programme to help inspire future generations of engineers. By working together, we can nurture our future engineering talent and help female engineers create a clear pathway for progression.”