Semta, the engineering skills specialists, have been championing women in industry through the engineering WorldSkills UK competitions. The eight female finalists this year represent a record high for this stage of the competition; last year’s final featured just four girls in a group of over a hundred.
All WorldSkills UK finalists have had to prove their abilities at regional heats across the country. The female finalists come from a variety of industry disciplines, including aeronautical engineering, avionics, robotics and CNC turning.
“This shows that female engineers who enter the industry can compete at a very elite level,” said Ann Watson, CEO of Semta. “The only barriers in the way of creating more women engineers are ignorance, misinformation and outmoded gender stereotypes. In order to close the skills gap, it is an absolute necessity for huge numbers of women to pursue a career in the sector.”
The winners of the finals in November will be considered for selection to Team UK, with the chance to represent their country at WorldSkills International in Kazan, Russia in 2019.
