Inspiring the next generation of women engineers
23 June
Run by Women’s Engineering Society, International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is a global celebration of diversity, innovation, and inclusion across the engineering sector. Engineering Intelligence is the theme for 2026, and the day will showcase the creativity, expertise and leadership women bring to engineering.
We’re proud to support INWED and increase awareness of women in engineering and all the different routes into this rewarding industry. Keep an eye on our social media channels and explore our content to inspire your own activities in the classroom. This year’s hashtags are #INWED26 and #EngineeringIntelligence.
Things to think about
- only 17% of the engineering and technology workforce are women, compared with 56% in other occupations
- girls make up half of all maths and physics GCSE students, but this drops to 37% and 24% at A level
- girls represent only 12% of engineering and technology T Level students, and 17% of engineering and technology apprenticeship starts
- girls are less likely to say that engineering is suitable for them, or that it fits well with who they are
Engineering and tech careers could unlock £1bn for women’s earnings
For INWED 2026 we have released new estimates highlighting the potential for women to increase their earnings through careers in engineering and technology. Across the economy, women are concentrated in lower paid sectors and occupations. In contrast, roles in engineering and technology pay the equivalent of £9k a year above the average of all occupations.
We estimate that 240,000 people are needed to join the engineering and technology workforce each year. If 50% of these were women, there would be around £1bn more in their collective pockets every year, compared to if they went into other roles.
What’s it like being a woman in engineering right now?
From gaming and sports to the environment and space, engineering and technology are behind everything. We asked 3 early-career engineers at our Corporate Member Thales to share their top tips for students interested in an engineering and tech career.
Classroom resources to inspire girls into STEM careers
We’ve got lots of inspiring resources to support your students to understand what engineering and tech careers involve and the variety of roles on offer.
Inspiring girls through topics they love
47% of girls are interested in climate change. Why not use this interest to explore how engineers are essential to developing solutions to tackling climate change? Our Climate Schools Programme stimulates debate with solutions-focused messages and makes links between curriculum subjects and real-world careers with our free resources.
Exploring a future in STEM
STEM can open doors to so many careers. Your students could explore outer space, protect the environment, design apps or improve our health and wellbeing. By answering a few short questions your students can find out how their skills and passions could lead to an exciting job they haven’t considered.
Showcasing pathways into STEM
Help students understand all the routes into engineering and technology careers with our STEM careers pathways poster. Designed for classroom use, the poster explores academic and technical pathways beyond school.
Real women doing real jobs
Charlotte is a land-based engineering apprentice at Bicton College, making farming more energy efficient. Niamh is a design engineer at Dyson and worked on the Dyson Airwrap. Gerren is an MSc Motorsport Engineering student studying at Oxford Brookes University. Share their career stories with your class and show students what a career in engineering and tech involves.
Tomorrow's Engineers Week 2026
Tomorrow's Engineers Week 2025 will take place from Monday 9 to Friday 13 November.
This year’s theme Shape our future, will show young people how engineering and technology tackles the real-world issues they care about. And how they can help shape future solutions by taking up one of the many careers in the industry.