Team Discussion
Yesterday, June 23rd, was the UK’s first National Women in Engineering Day, and this got me thinking… when I joined Team back in 1998 as an industrial designer I was one of only two female members of a team of 20 technical operating staff.
Today, how things have changed. Team employs a lot more people to begin with, but also there has been a huge shift in the gender balance. Every technical team; electronics and software, industrial design, mechanical engineering, human factors and project management has a female element to it. In fact around 35% of our technical staff are now female, and interestingly the project management team is currently made up entirely of female staff.
Despite our positive ratio at Team, according to experts within the industry, the UK needs to double the number of engineering recruits to meet demand. And we have the lowest number of female engineering professionals in Europe, at less than 10%, while other countries, such as Latvia, Bulgaria and Cyprus lead with nearly 30%.
“We must challenge the stereotyping and bias that can still pervade our culture, particularly within the male dominated engineering and technology sectors. Attracting and retaining a more diverse workforce will maximize innovation, creativity and competitiveness.”
– (Success through STEM, STEM Business Group November 2013)
It’s good to know that Team are not only bucking the trend but leading the way to a more innovative, creative and competitive future.
Looking for industry insights? Click below to get our opinions and thoughts into the world of medical devices and healthcare.
