In this exclusive op-ed for The Manufacturer, Jennifer Frith, factory development director at critical power solutions provider Davenham Switchgear, explores why, despite ongoing efforts, women remain significantly underrepresented in engineering and technology, and addressing this gap is crucial not only for fairness but also for tackling talent shortages, driving innovation, and ensuring long-term resilience in the sector.
In spite of continued efforts to boost diversity, women remain significantly underrepresented in engineering and technology. Only 16.9% of the STEM workforce is made up of women, compared to some 56% in other occupations. While some might argue it’s a non-issue, the gender gap is more than a statistic – it’s signalling missed opportunities in an industry crying out for fresh talent and new voices.
The impact of poor diversity levels goes far beyond being a social issue. A more diverse workforce will offer a wider range of perspectives; something advantageous when it comes to solving business problems. So much so, that research by McKinsey has found that companies with more diversity at executive levels were 40% more likely to surpass their competitors in terms of profitability.
Coupled with the fact that hiring in STEM has become more difficult than ever – with almost half (49%) of engineering and technology companies struggling to recruit due to skills shortages – boosting diversity and ensuring fair opportunities within the sector shouldn’t be a one-off event. Rather, it needs to be part of a wider, long-term strategy to drive innovation and stability. Despite this clear need for change, there’s still a number of barriers in the way to the industry achieving a truly diverse workforce.
Challenging career pathways
Firstly, I think the idea of career pathways and the perceived need to have a science or engineering background to succeed in the industry holds people back. But that shouldn’t be the case. I’m proof that a career in STEM doesn’t have to follow the ‘expected’, or linear, route.
I began by studying media and photography at university before I took up a part-time job as an operator on the shop floor to earn some money. I ended up staying, working my way up to becoming a team leader and then to production manager, looking after a team of 150. I later had the opportunity to undertake further training in management and lean manufacturing strategies, which eventually brought me to my current role as factory development director at Davenham.
My position now is more of a coaching role, with the aim of supporting efficient modern-day manufacturing. Essentially, I take my understanding of the manufacturing process to find ways to optimise it, working closely with our team of engineers to make things quicker, easier and safer. It’s probably not what most media and photography graduates end up doing, but my pathway shows that you don’t necessarily need a STEM degree to climb the ladder. It’s important that, as a sector, we broaden our perspectives, especially to plug the recruitment gap. It doesn’t matter where you’ve come from, as long as you’re willing to learn and put in the work.
Shedding old misconceptions
While I didn’t come into the industry with a technical degree, the low number of women studying STEM subjects does remain an issue. Research in schools found that 44% of boys think a career in engineering is “suitable for someone like them”, compared to only 16% of girls. Interestingly, the latter figure almost exactly mirrors the percentage of women working in STEM (16.9%), suggesting that current efforts to attract and retain female talent are still falling short.
In my view, the image of STEM hasn’t changed much – it’s still seen as a ‘dirty’ and male-dominated place. Why would girls choose that? At Davenham, we’re committed to changing that stigma and getting people feeling enthusiastic about the prospect of working with us and in the industry.
One way we’re physically changing that stigma is with the delivery of our brand-new Nottingham factory, which offers our teams a sleek and modern workspace to relax, work collaboratively or privately, thanks to both open workspaces and private booths. For those who fancy a change of scenery on their break, we’re also surrounded by greenery with protected woodland, native plants and ponds right outside our door.
Of course, it’s not only changing the physical spaces that matter. There needs to be a mindset shift, too.
STEM is vital to our everyday lives, and tackles some of the world’s biggest issues, from climate change to worldwide pandemics. As a company working in the data centre market, we get the benefit of working in a sector supporting ‘critical infrastructure’ that affects billions of people around the globe. From the ability to join your work calls remotely and connecting with friends over social media, to powering the operations of some of the world’s biggest brands and organisations across retail right through to finance and healthcare, without data centres we’d be lost.
It’s a state-of-the-art technology that’s rapidly growing – and in our opinion, there’s never been a better time to get involved. You could have the opportunity to help design, build and maintain some of the world’s most in-demand technology.
Challenging those outdated views and promoting the real impact of STEM work is key to attracting new, diverse talent.
Supporting women
In my early career, when I was still lacking confidence, I definitely found it hard to speak up as a woman in a male-dominated environment. It’s easy to shrink into the background. I also found that if I asked a question, people would direct their response to one of my male colleagues rather than back to me. What’s worse is, I didn’t even notice until my coworker pointed it out to me – almost as if, on a subconscious level, it was something I had become used to.
Thankfully, I’ve seen a positive shift over the last decade, both in attitudes and with more women entering the field, like Ikhrah, one of our new panel wirers. But the statistics show there’s still a lot more to be done. For me, the fact that we still need to have International Women in Engineering Day at all is almost a double negative. But if we didn’t have it, progress would be even slower.
If I could leave one piece of advice for women in the field, it would be this: don’t feel intimidated if you’re the only woman on the team. Have the confidence to speak up for what you think and what you believe in. The more you do, the more confident you’ll become. And don’t let any setbacks stop you – once you’ve overcome one, it’s less daunting the next time.
Shifting working norms
When it comes to hiring, offering flexible working arrangements could go a long way in encouraging more women to apply. The UK Government previously suggested that offering flexible working arrangements could help businesses create gender-balanced workplaces by accommodating for the additional responsibilities many women, or indeed, men, have. Care takes up a significant chunk of time, with almost half of working-age women providing 45 hours of unpaid care every week, compared to 25% of men who contribute 17 hours.
Offering more flexibility in the manufacturing sector is especially hard, particularly when you have production lines and heavy machinery which all need to operate at specific times, and an often volatile supply chain to keep pace. But to accommodate more women in the sector and updated HR practices around flexible working, it’s something the industry must consider.
At Davenham, we offer a 4-day working week as standard for our 350 factory-based staff, both in Ireland and now here in Nottingham. For our female employees, of whom there are a number in production-based roles – like Ikhrah – that means a day back for them; whether it’s to care for loved ones or as some much-needed rest after the weeks’ hard work.
Looking ahead
Looking to the future, we’re planning to introduce apprenticeship schemes later this year, promoting a wider range of entry paths into the sector. But we also know that, based on what we’re seeing in schools, we need to get involved earlier if we’re to really challenge misconceptions, dispel the need for annual days like this, and encourage more girls into STEM careers.
Later this year, we’re hoping to partner with local schools and educational organisations to offer career talks and mentorship, getting young people excited about joining a sector that’s shaping the future. Our new site in Nottingham is perfectly positioned for outreach just like this, with easy access via road, rail and bus services. Not to mention it’s also a city with two world-renowned universities and a wealth of tech, engineering and manufacturing talent on offer that we could tap into. While we know there’s still more to be done, we’re proud that initiatives like our 4-day work week and upcoming apprenticeship scheme are helping to drive the change.
International Women in Engineering Day reminds us of how far we’ve come, but also, how much more still needs to be done. Until we achieve diversity, we need to keep challenging the status quo – whether it be in hiring practices, career pathways, workplace culture or education.
Research conducted by The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) previously estimated that by 2026, almost a fifth (19.6%) of the engineering workforce will either be retired or close to retiring. As next year draws closer, the need to close this talent gap gets ever more critical – particularly given the likely demographic of that outgoing cohort. At Davenham though, we’re committed to playing our part. Embracing gender diversity helps us build stronger teams, more innovation and ultimately a more resilient future for our sector.
About the author
Jennifer Frith is factory development director at critical power solutions provider, Davenham Switchgear.
Jennifer is an experienced operations manager with experience working in both the electrical and electronic manufacturing industry. She is currently factory development director at Davenham Switchgear, a brand of Legrand and a leading supplier of low-voltage (LV) switchgear.
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