Scottish Engineering and non-profit Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Alliance (Semta) have teamed up with Equate Scotland to provide specialist training for employers to increase diversity within the industry.

The project will help employers improve their ability to both attract and retain a range of more diverse candidates. The campaign also aims to encourage good practice in the sector and support employers in taking forward positive action programmes.

In particular, it is hoped the project will help to bolster the number of women studying and working in engineering. Figures from the Scottish Government, derived from Scottish Qualifications Authority’s (SQA) 2018 data, revealed that only 27% of higher physics and 10% of higher engineering science pupils were female.

Read more: Britain’s Tech Sector Has the Worst Leadership Gender Diversity

The data also showed that only 16% of students studying undergraduate degrees in engineering and technology are female, while the proportion of those in engineering or architectural activities is 18%.

Paul Sheerin, Scottish Engineering chief executive, said: “There are many ways we need to work to improve that balance, but we believe this initiative is one of the key drivers to making working in engineering and manufacturing more attractive to all potential candidates.”

Talat Yaqoob, Equate Scotland director, said: “This project is an opportunity to transform the engineering sector into a place more women are enthusiastic about working in, as well as challenging and changing exclusionary work practices.

“We want girls to see their future in this sector but to do that we need employers to work with us on changing the perceptions of engineering and ensure that women who are currently working in the sector have positive experiences to share.

“Scotland needs more STEM skills and needs more qualified engineers, women should be seen and invested in as a valued solution to the skills shortage.”

Ann Watson, Semta Group chief executive, said: “The role of Scotland’s engineering and manufacturing companies in delivering employment and growth is intrinsic to the UK economy.

“Thanks to the way the fourth industrial revolution is changing what an engineer does and how they do it, we are now in a prime era of being able to impact the ever increasing skills gap and productivity levels in the sector by re-addressing what engineering is perceived to be.”