‘Small but significant’ rise in women leaving engineering 

Workforce data published by EngineeringUK has revealed the proportion of women working in engineering and technology roles has declined in the past year. 

Falling from 16.5% to 15.7%, the decline is concentrated among women aged 35 to 44. In contrast, 56.1% of women make up the rest of the UK workforce.

The finding is consistent with registration data published by the Engineering Council which shows the average age of women leaving the profession is 43, in contrast to 60 for men.

Analysis of the wider UK workforce does not show a similar drop or pattern of women leaving other professions.

Hilary Leevers, EngineeringUK chief executive, said: “We are taking this small but significant decline very seriously. Behind the percentages, are professional women with real lives and careers.  

“The sector as a whole needs to better understand why women are leaving and work harder to improve their retention, including creating opportunities for those who have left the profession to return. The various government skills taskforces must also ensure retention is core to the strategies they are working on.”

The data also revealed in 2023 there were more women entering engineering and technology occupations in the 16 to 34 age groups, which indicates more women are entering the workforce directly from education and training, but long-term retention remains an issue.

In light of the data, EngineeringUK is calling for engineering and technology companies to improve recruitment and retention practices, as well as collaborating with organisations such as Women into Science and Engineering (WISE) and the Women’s Engineering Society (WES).   

Read the full report here.