50% for the Future

Illustration of Mechanical Engineering-related jobs

"To champion, advance and advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) for all staff and students.

To work in an evidence-based and transparent manner, where we hold ourselves and others accountable, to encourage a growth in mindset around EDI."

Increasing the female representation within Mechanical Engineering

Female representation within Swansea University’s (SU) Mechanical Engineering (ME) cohort is only ~8.5%. This ambitious project was awarded through The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity Impact Programme, which strives to address the low female representation within the field of Mechanical Engineering via evidence-based, beneficiary defined interventions. The delivered strategy will signpost transformational reform within the ME community and serves as a “Springboard” to achieve “50% for the Future” female representation, not only studying ME at SU, but within the profession.

Strategy Development

The scoping work for “50% for the Future” was initiated in September 2021. To capture the true voice of the beneficiaries, a working group (WG) was established that comprised a diverse representation of our Mechanical Engineering student cohort, academics, industry and IMechE. In addition to the clear aim of increasing female student numbers in the department, three problem areas were identified by the WG as needing to be addressed to both help to achieve this long-term aim, as well as to provide more immediate positive impact for the beneficiaries.

The Problem Areas

1. The misconceptions around Mechanical Engineering - Surmised as the collision of the “engineering and gender-stereotype”

2. The male dominated society - The creation of a distinct patriarchal bias.

3. The leaky pipeline effect - Whereby less females pursue a career in Mechanical Engineering

Our Vision

Within the environment of dominant masculinity experienced by women studying Mechanical Engineering, Swansea University’s (SU) Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) research confirms that women are negatively impacted by demonstrating low self-confidence, self-efficacy, experiencing isolation and lacking relatable role-models.

“50% for the Future” will endeavour to:

Create a more supported and enriching experience for women whilst studying
Create a more inclusive curriculum
Increase focus on mentoring and role-models, to enhance our beneficiaries’ confidence with regards to pursuing a successful career within Mechanical Engineering.

Our Ambition

Increase the female representation within SU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering (DME) student cohort to 50% before 2050
Match the National Average for female students studying Mechanical Engineering within 5 years
Monitor the satisfaction and well-being of our female undergraduates through regular scored Questionnaires and focus groups – wherever possible, we will look to improve our scores and feedback
Ensure/maintain a high proportion (<75%) of our female undergraduates are motivated/confident enough to pursue a career in the field of Mechanical Engineering

Our Objectives

The focus of this research project aims to further understand and address the 3 problem areas around female under-representation in Mechanical Engineering at Swansea University.

The 3 areas can also be considered as correlating to distinct stages in the process of becoming a professional Mechanical Engineer:

“The Before”

Improve our understanding of the motivating factors around the selection of STEM subjects and subsequently Mechanical Engineering
Improve our understanding of the difference in perceptions around Mechanical Engineering for males versus females.

“The Now”

Establish how we can reduce the negative impact of a male-dominated learning environment, to prevent female students from any barriers to success and motivation while studying.

“The Future”

Identify ways to better support our female students in their future career aspirations to mitigate against the “leaky pipeline” effect.

Our Interventions

Lego Education Workshops
- Our undergraduate outreach team can facilitate workshops either at Swansea University or at local schools/colleges.

Creative Writing Competion
- We intend to run yearly Creative Writing competitions with local secondary schools. Read our winning entries from 2023 here!
Mechanical Engineering Taster Days
- Come and see our amazing facilities here at Swansea University Bay Campus.
Teacher CPD Conference
- Bridging the gap between secondary schools/colleges and Higher Education, to allow for more consistent dissemination of learning around (Mechanical) Engineering. See below the illustrations from our 2023 conference!

EDI Teacher CPDBanner

Mechanical Engineering Society
- Run by our very own student cohort to enhance our ME community and create a more inclusive culture through fun and educational social events.

If you’d like to know any further information or would like to get involved with any of the above interventions, please do not hesitate to contact either Dr Jennifer Thompson (Jennifer.thompson@swansea.ac.uk) or Lydia Webber (l.r.webber@swansea.ac.uk)

Papers and Publications

Coming soon!

Events/Conferences

Event Highlights 2023

Advance HE EDI Conference March 2023
Inclusive Engineering Conference April 2023
Gender in HE Conference May 2023
Mechanical Engineering Taster Day May 2023
Horizons in STEM HE Conference June 2023
Diversity in STEM Conference Sept 2023
RAEng Community of Practice Event Nov 2023
ME – The Future; Bridging the gap between schools and Higher Education Dec 2023