International Women in Engineering Day - Why choose a career in engineering?

Engineering is one of the most rewarding professions you could choose, and there are so many different career paths available.  It doesn't matter which path you decide to take, engineers are constantly in demand in all sectors.

International Women in Engineering Day

Today we celebrate International Women in Engineering Day. It's now a worldwide campaign to raise the profile of female engineers, and demonstrate that it's not just a career path for men.
The campaign is coordinated by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), a charity encouraging women to achieve their full potential as engineers. WES want to create a diverse engineering sector where women are integral to the workforce. In order to achieve this, they are trying to bring down the barriers stopping women from progressing in their careers. These barriers include:

  • A lack of careers advice throughout education
  • Engineering seen as career for brainy boys
  • Inequalities in career progression
  • Off-putting job descriptions

Why engineering?

Choices, choices, choices…

Picking the right sector for you is the first step towards your career as an engineer. There are a wide variety of industries in which engineers play an important role, including:

  • Aerospace
  • Automotive
  • Biomedical
  • Construction and built environment
  • Electronic
  • Geotechnical
  • Mechanical
  • Nuclear
  • Telecommunications
  • And many, many more!

Great salary

Engineers are among some of the best paid employees. Graduate salaries are 20% higher than the average graduate salary, falling between £25,000 and £40,000. In addition, engineering apprentices are paid more than twice the national apprentice minimum wage.

Continuous improvement

Learning and development is also important in an engineer’s role. For example, a graduate may be working towards becoming chartered, or attending management courses. There will always be plenty of chances to grow and develop throughout your career. Ultimately, employers want to see their employees succeed in their business, and move up the career ladder.

Travel Opportunities

If the chance to travel in your job is attractive to you then engineering could be a good career for you. Many engineers are expected to travel regularly as part of their job. You may visit a foreign supplier’s premises, travel to another city to see a construction site, or attend a conference or training day.

Make a difference

We can see examples of great engineering all around us. The cars we drive are safer, mobile phones have become central to our lives, and medical testing has become more accurate. Whatever career route you choose, you and your colleagues will be developing innovations that benefit society. In essence, engineers protect our planet, reduce poverty and save lives!

How can Open Study College help?

If you’re looking to get into university to study engineering then we can help you. We offer a great range of A Levels, including Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, that can add to the UCAS points you need to get into university. If you would like to know more about the A Levels we offer go to our website or call 03300 563100.

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Sharnie Carter

International Women in Engineering Day – Why choose a career in engineering?