A survey of 4,000 girls, young women, parents and teachers, published today Accenture, reveals that there is a perception that STEM subjects and careers are better suited to boys. Half of the teachers and 43% of parents surveyed believe this perception helps explain the low uptake of STEM subjects by girls. Responding to the survey, Naomi Climer, IET President-elect, said: “If we continue to fail to attract women into engineering, the UK will be in a significantly weakened position to find the 1.82 million engineers it is estimated the country will need by 2022.”

The new President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) wants to see more engineering employers consider introducing a range of measures including quotas to boost the number of female engineers. Naomi Climer, who has become the IET’s first female President in its 144-year history said: “Despite the best efforts, there has been little progress in attracting more women into engineering over the past few decades so I feel that the time is right to force action through the use of quotas.”