Engineers Ireland’s Women in Engineering Group marked International Women in Engineering Day, 23 June, with a one-day conference at Trinity College Dublin that covered a wide range of leading speakers from the engineering field and beyond.

Focusing on the theme of ‘Enhanced by Engineering’, the event sought to empower, inspire, and celebrate women in engineering, and heard from Linda Doyle, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin; Tiffany Quinn, founder of Generate Leads; Susan Cormican, Group Director at Ethos Engineering; Noreen O’Keeffe, Executive and Career Coach and Mentor; and Neil Curran, Communications and Teams Facilitator.

The event was delivered with the support of Arcadis, Jones Engineering, ADCO, AECOM, Atkins, CS Consulting, Jacobs, and Tritech.

According to a recent study by Ipsos B&A on behalf of Engineers Ireland, 39% of women say they do not view engineering as a suitable career, compared to just 29% of men. Similarly, over a third of women respondents said they would not consider the profession if starting a career or pursuing a career change.

At the recent Engineers Ireland STEM Opportunities’ Leaders Forum, held in Dublin, research was presented demonstrating the different expectations for attainment our society tends to place on boys and girls in school mathematics. Similarly, it was highlighted that fewer female role models within the profession can also act as a barrier, as it reduces opportunities for girls and young women to see people like them as leaders within the profession.

Commenting on the event, Engineers Ireland Director General Damien Owens said: “Research suggests that many women still do not consider engineering a career suitable for them. While we have much work to do to change this perception, events like today’s conference do an excellent job in highlighting the important role women play within our profession.”

Colette O’Shea, Chair of Engineers Ireland’s Women in Engineering Committee, commented: “It is important to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day and the amazing network of women working in engineering and engineering-related fields. We want to create connections and build a community to help change the face of the industry for future generations.”