A better understanding of the opportunities in engineering science will encourage more women into the field, according to Bernice Wright, lecturer in cell and gene therapy at UCL and a key figure in the UK government’s RESILIENCE programme.
RESILIENCE is a two-year, £4.5 million programme aimed at filling the critical skills gap in advanced medicines manufacturing.
While more women are entering into STEM fields, progress is slow and women comprise just one quarter of the workforce in the UK, according to government statistics.
“There’s a misconception that you have to have be really clever to work in any field of science, but you just need to be interested and curious’, said Bernice. “There’s such a diverse range of roles, many of which involving skills that can be taught, as long as there’s curiosity and interest.
“Of course, some roles in science require a deep understanding of complex topics, and you need exceptionally high grades to study them; the problem is that although many women pursue scientific careers, they struggle to attain leadership positions in those careers.”
Bernice is a key figure at UCL’s RESILIENCE hub. The scheme uses virtual reality (VR) to encourage and train young people in medicines manufacturing.
“Medicines manufacturing is experiencing a significant skills shortage so it is a great example of an area in science where skills can be taught.
“For those with a passion for science, but who are concerned about the intellectual barriers to a career as a research scientist, it’s just one example of a very achievable career in STEM.
“Whilst all of this is true for men pursuing a career in science, I teach a lot of women and find that even the most intelligent ones lack self-confidence.
“The women I teach often feel more scared of making mistakes, hold the belief that they must fully succeed in anything they attempt and may have a lower perceived ability compared with their actual ability.
“Men on the other hand are more willing to try anything, can bounce back from mistakes more quickly and are less likely to hold themselves back.”
There are an estimated 9.4 million people working in STEM fields across all industries in the UK.
Despite research that shows girls outperforming boys in STEM subjects at GCSE and A Level, women are still vastly underrepresented in engineering sciences once they reach working age.
“We all know that more women need to be encouraged into engineering, but we need to come up with more realistic and effective ways to do this.
“Of course, we should also be encouraging women to reach for those complex roles with high barriers to entry, but we must highlight the range of opportunities available so that all women, not just the highest academic achievers, can realise a career in engineering science if they have the interest.
“If more women knew about the range of careers in STEM engineering fields, including those with lower barriers to entry, they may feel more confident pursuing a career in this field of science.”
The RESILIENCE programme, which started in April 2024, has now reached over 21,000 students from across the UK, raising awareness of careers in medicines manufacturing and giving students experience of the job in a VR environment.
Bernice said:” VR is a great way to inspire young people, not just because it’s exciting technology, but because it actually lets them have a go at the job and see that they can really do this.”
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