Women of South Yorkshire engineer their futures!

27th February

As 29 February approaches and South Yorkshire roses rehearse their marriage proposals, young women are being called on to show that they can do a man's job any day of the year!

The engineering and manufacturing industries in South Yorkshire are continually growing, offering great career prospects for young people. There are many initiatives in place in the region to widen participation of females in these burgeoning industries, and nationally more than 15% of places in engineering and technology courses in higher education are taken by females.^*

South Yorkshire is home to some of the most advanced engineering companies in the world, and from swing bridges to ice skates, hip joints to Formula 1 engines, all these and more are made right here in South Yorkshire. The diverse manufacturing industries produce new cures and treatments for illnesses and diseases, and make furniture, computers, food, motor vehicles, tyres, clothes and trainers!

Cathy Bell, Quality Manager at Thrybergh Bar Mill, said: "I enjoy my work in the technical function of a large manufacturing company as I find it varied and challenging. There are lots of potential routes you can take in technical, varying from desk-based analytical work to more hands-on practical roles. Vocational education routes allow you to gain real experience of working in a business whilst providing the opportunity to develop your skills and move up through the career ladder."

There are over 79,000 people employed in manufacturing in South Yorkshire, 12% of the overall workforce, and it is expected that in the next 10 years the region will need 6,000 more engineers, including software engineers, professional engineers and technicians.

Rachel Reeves, a student in GCSE Engineering at Ridgewood School in Doncaster, said: "I really enjoy my course which involves a variety of different tasks. It is very practical, and I enjoy the problem solving which it requires. I wanted to do the course as it was different to subjects I'd studied before. We get to do fun things too, – last year we had to design a robot, and went to America to take part in a competition against other students. I hope to study an A-level in Engineering afterwards."

More information about vocational qualifications and careers in engineering and manufacturing is available to students and their parents at www.voced.co.uk

^* Statistics from Engineering UK 2007, A Statistical Guide to Labour Supply and Demand in Science, Engineering and Technology