Educate, Inspire and Empower
Educate, Inspire and Empower
Do you remember who empowered or inspired you to join the industry you’re in now? Perhaps it was a family member or friend, or maybe it was a career counsellor or teacher.
We all have someone who comes to mind when we think back to that time.
For many civil engineers, that someone was a STEM ambassador who they engaged with at school or a careers fair.
Throughout my time at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), I’ve spoken to many members who can recall the exact STEM activity or engineer who ignited their passion for engineering or encouraged them to join the industry. It’s a reminder of the influence volunteers can have on the younger generation.
I always think of the saying “you can’t be what you can’t see”. For some engineers, if they never engaged with a STEM ambassador, engineering wouldn’t have been on their radar.
Research by EngineeringUK from 2020 found almost half (47%) of 11 to 19-year-olds surveyed said they knew little or almost nothing about what engineers do.
Plus, in the UK, it’s estimated there’s an annual shortfall of 59,000 graduate and technician engineers – many of whom are needed in civil engineering. This means we must do more to inform and attract young people to our industry if we want to close the gap.
One thing we can continue to do is raise awareness of the sector through STEM ambassadors.
ICE’s STEM ambassadors help spread the word about civil engineering careers to young people, parents and teachers. They run activity sessions at schools, represent civil engineering at careers fairs and STEM events, and support STEM clubs.
And through our Girlguiding partnership – where guides and rangers can work towards a civil engineering badge – STEM ambassadors help lead sessions with local units.
STEM ambassadors can reach a huge audience – think of how many students could participate in STEM activities if every engineer volunteered one hour of their time once a month to host an activity!
By engaging with young people across a range of activities and locations, and tailoring programmes to abilities and available resources, we can prove to all students that anyone can be an engineer – there can be a pathway to engineering for everyone.
Even if you believe your story or career path isn’t unique, it may just be what encourages someone to join the industry. Be the person you wished you’d met when you were a student!
Outside of the ICE, I volunteer as a school governor. Not only has it shown me the importance of engaging with our local schools, but I’ve also seen first-hand the impact good advice and guidance has on students.
Following a careers fair that I had invited a couple of engineering companies to attend at my school, the number of girls interested in engineering increased by 15%.
According to research by EngineeringUK from 2023, only 18.5% of engineering and technology graduates were female students and just 10.5% of undergraduates had a known disability.
While these numbers are a reminder that we must do more to diversify the industry, what’s positive is we have the tools and steps to improve inclusivity. We just need help doing it.
Remember, it’s not just the students who will benefit from your volunteering efforts – you’ll learn more about your industry, your peers and importantly, yourself.
-Ends-
References:
EngineeringUK releases new report on engineering in higher education
About the ICE
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is a 97,000-strong global membership organisation with over 200 years of history.
It is a centre of engineering excellence, qualifying engineers and helping them maintain lifelong competence, assuring society that the infrastructure they create is safe, dependable and well designed.
Its network of experts offers trusted, impartial advice to politicians and decision makers on how to build and adapt infrastructure to create a more sustainable world.
Categories: Insights