Susi Farnworth
Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, EngineeringUK
Susi leads EngineeringUK’s equity, diversity and inclusion strategy. This includes making sure all our programmes support all young people from all backgrounds to be informed and inspired into engineering and tech careers. She is passionate about working inclusively with, and for, young people. Susi has led the development of a number of evidence-based youth programmes. These include smoking and drug prevention initiatives, and community programmes for deaf and disabled young people, as well as working in industry.
How the gender pathways into engineering and technology project is progressing
To mark International Women’s Day, I’m reflecting on our work to create a step change in the number of girls on pathways into engineering and technology careers. Read more about the exciting collaboration with 48 organisations in the gender pathways collective.
When reflecting on the progress made in recent years on the number of women in the workforce, I feel hopeful. However, this is not reflected across all sectors. Just 16.9% of the engineering workforce are women, compared to 56% of other occupations in the UK. And, now more than ever, we need women to help contribute to the diverse engineering and technology workforce. We need this for the UK economy to thrive, and to achieve net zero.
A major part of the challenge is that many girls choose not to take the subjects and qualifications needed for these careers before they turn 18. Just 19% of Computing A level and 24% of Physics A level students are girls. Evidence indicates that, increasingly, girls don’t see themselves as a good fit for engineering – only 12% say being an engineer fits well with who they are.
Whilst girls who continue in STEM subjects can experience the excitement of developing technical solutions, girls choices to continue are influenced by many factors. These include the gender stereotypes they may experience, careers advice, how schools consider gender inclusion in their approach, and quality of teaching.
Launching the collective with expert partners
We know that we need to act now to create a step change in the number of girls on pathways into engineering and technology. As a result, we developed the gender pathways project in late 2024.
Established by a core group comprising EngineeringUK, BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, Royal Academy of Engineering, Women’s Engineering Society (WES) and Women into Science and Engineering (WISE), we formed a collective of 48 organisations from across the engineering and tech sector. We set out to take a systemic view of the factors at play and produced a paper summarising the most robust and promising approaches to changing girls’ pathways.
In late 2024 and early 2025, we ran a series of workshops with the collective. This helped us identify 6 areas where strategic action could have the greatest impact. As a result, we created 6 task and finish groups, each led by a different organisation. These task and finish groups are outlined below.
Task and finish groups taking action
Whole school approach to gender equity and inclusive practice, led by EngineeringUK and Tech She Can
This group’s work builds on the increasing Gender Balance Cluster Randomised Controlled trial which demonstrated how a whole school approach to equity can significantly increase the number of girls taking Physics A level. The group’s intention is to scale the approach with a national organisation and bring about systemic change though influencing policy. They have already begun sense checking the approach, including at a round table of the Council for Subject Associations.
Project based learning, led by British Science Association and Orbyts, UCL
This group are using the knowledge that project based learning (PBL) can particularly inspire girls into STEM. They will publish a literature review on making PBL most impactful for girls. This will be supported by a checklist to support those delivering PBL, to help make sure their delivery reflects this. The group also aim to increase the participation of girls in PBL.
Peer mentoring , led by Digital<ALL> and Capital City College
The groups collated promising evidence that peer-to-peer role models are an effective way to encourage more young women into STEM, both for mentees and mentors. This group aims to find ways to scale this model, focusing on 11 to 18 educational phase, and primary to secondary transition.
Equity and STEM research and change centre, led by Professor Louise Archer, UCL
This group’s aim is to fund research, evaluation and capacity-building activities and innovations intended to create greater equity in STEM education pathways. Then to produce findings, resources and guidance for policy and practice stakeholders to deliver culture change.
Curriculum and assessment, led by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, Royal Academy of Engineering and EngineeringUK
There is evidence that the current curriculum and assessment structure leads girls to be more likely to be disengaged with STEM subjects than boys. This group is looking to make sure the curriculum and its content are inclusive and equally engaging across genders.
They have already drafted a guide to inclusive content development for publishers of teaching materials.
They are also working with government to ensure the current curriculum realises the opportunity to make science teaching more inclusive and – most importantly – more engaging.
AI for gender inclusive careers support in schools
This group’s aim is to create a shared learning environment for those using AI in education in a way that supports gender equity.
Community of practice
The group leads, along with other active members of the collective, make up a community of practice. The collective shares learning and good practice to maximise collective impact.
In October the community of practice came together at an event with more than 90 people hosted by the Royal Academy of Engineering. They reviewed their approach and took inspiration and challenge from external stakeholders including hearing from This Girl Can.
Influencing government policy
As a collective, our aim is to see a world where young people all follow pathways into STEM, regardless of their gender.
To achieve this, government policy needs to acknowledge the current inequity in girls pursuing STEM pathways. And for education policy to tackle the systemic issues which perpetuate this situation. To support this, the collective looks for opportunities to raise these issues and move the dial on government policy.
The collective and EngineeringUK have, for example, submitted evidence to the Curriculum Review. More recently, we fed into the consultation on the National Professional Qualifications for teachers, and have contributed evidence to parliamentary debates on women in STEM.
Next steps
In the coming months we expect to see several key resources outlined above published and embedded along with growth in the other group’s work. A white paper on gender and pathways into STEM will be published with key recommendations emerging from the collective’s work.
The gender pathways collective has united key organisations from across sectors to drive meaningful, collaborative action. We’re just at the start of this journey, and we look forward to strengthening and embedding the impact of our work.
Explore the gender pathways project
