Engineering Training and Careers for Women in Britain: an overview of the initiatives undertaken by the Engineering Industry Training Board

The Engineering Industry Training Board of the United Kingdom has been heavily involved in special projects to increase the number of women in engineering careers in manufacturing industry, both at technician and professional level. The scope of these initiatives is outlined and the research carried out into their implementation and outcome is reviewed. The projects have had considerable success in themselves, in bringing young women into engineering careers in increasing numbers and have also been influential in changing the climate of opinion concerning the appropriateneness of professional and technician engineering careers for women. Research has thrown a great deal of light on to the issues still to be solved, if women are to enter the engineering field of employment in satisfactory numbers. Recently, the issue of how to help older women engineers cope with the dual roles of career and family, has been addressed and especially how to reduce the impact on careers which can result from breaks in full-time work due to family commitments.