ETB spotlights untapped potential of young women

London - The Engineering and Technology Board (ETB) has highlighted the untapped potential of thousands of young women who veer away from science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) career paths. The Board was responding to the CBI’s ‘Emerging stronger’ survey and its assertion that there is high employer demand for STEM employees and work-ready employees with basic literacy and numeracy skills.

As judged by GCSE pass rates in English, maths and across the board, young women of school-leaving age are more literate, numerate and do better in science than their male counterparts, with 9 % more female candidates gaining 5 or more GCSE passes at grades A-C. The ETB believes more young women should be encouraged to join the STEM workforce, bringing with them stronger skills in literacy, numeracy, science and general ‘work-readiness’.

The ETB is addressing the gender divide via a variety of interventions, including the Engineers Make it Happen campaign, and the scenta Role Models scheme, as part of which female engineers are being encouraged to sign up and pass one their expertise and enthusiasm for their subject.

Paul Jackson , chief executive of the ETB, said: “The most effective way to close the numeracy, literacy and other industrial skills gaps identified by science and engineering employers is to improve careers advice, tackle gender stereotypes, and prevent so many skilled young women being lost to science and engineering.”