Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to encourage more women to work in the manufacturing sector.

The Government recognises the need to encourage more women into the manufacturing sector and we support a number of initiatives in this area.

We have run two engineering skills funds for employers – “Improving Engineering Careers" and “Developing Women Engineers”. Applications are currently being assessed, with successful employers due to be informed in January.

Our ‘Your Life Call to Action’ campaign has been joined by over 200 companies, pledging to improve women’s recruitment, retention and progression in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) professions.

STEMNET runs the STEM Ambassador programme, a network of 28,000 volunteers from industry and academia who visit schools, illustrating STEM careers and advising teachers. Over 40% (over 11,200) of STEM Ambassadors are women.

We fund STEMNET to run a number of programmes, including the STEM Ambassador’s programme to the sum of £6.3m per year.

See Inside Manufacturing (SIM) allows young people to experience modern advanced manufacturing and engineering, the programme actively encourages businesses to open their doors to the next generation of engineers and in particular young women.