A joint initiative between Forth Valley College, Developing the Young Workforce Forth Valley and Scottish Power Energy Networks, aimed to challenge the stereotype that women don’t aspire to a career in engineering.
FVC’s Falkirk Campus played host to the ‘Challenging the Stereotype’ event which took place on Thursday 21 September, saw 17 secondary school pupils tour the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) workshops and facilities, gain experience outside from an overhead power lines maintenance demonstration, take part in mock interviews and hear direct from engineers Holly and Catherine Dow on their careers so far.
Cara Mullan (17) is a pupil from Braes High School in Falkirk. She said: “I’m interested in science and engineering however wasn’t sure which exact career path was for me. My school suggested this event might be a good way to find out about different engineering disciplines available. The practical elements of the event have been really useful as they’ve offered an insight into what a job would actually be like.”
Dean Williams, FVC’s Head of the Department of Electrical, Instrumentation and Chemical Engineering, said: “Forth Valley College prides itself on being at the forefront of challenging these sorts of outdated views. Female engineers and scientists have been learning their trades and excelling here for many years. Added to that that our last two MA of the Year graduation prizewinners have been female engineers.
“We are delighted to be working closely with DYW Forth Valley and Scottish Power Energy Networks to dispel any lingering views which suggest that women are not suited to studying engineering or other STEM subjects and indeed encourage more to find out about the courses on offer here at Forth Valley College.”
Jen Henderson, DYW Forth Valley Programme Manager, said: “The young women who attended today’s event were a credit to their schools and we are delighted to work alongside employers and education to bring the world of engineering to life for them. There are many engineering career pathway options and careers out there and we wanted to highlight that gender should not play any part in limiting their ambition.”
Group Pic: (From left to right) Katie Barclay (14) Grangemouth High School, Cara Mullan (17) Braes High School, Saskia Liddell (15) Graeme High School, Amy Simmons (15) Larbert High School, Tiffany Brogan (16) Lornshill Academy.