Springboard is very excited to be sponsoring the Cambridge University Women in Engineering Society (CUWES) this year as part of our Women in Technical Consultancy Scheme. Through this new collaboration we hope to inspire more young women to consider careers in technical consultancy.
CUWES is a student-led society focused on helping students on their journey towards a career in engineering. The society’s main aims are to:
- foster a supportive environment, in which members can engage with and learn from one another;
- contribute to members’ professional development by organising industry-related events;
- and inspire prospective students to choose engineering-related degrees through outreach.
As of June 2021 women made up 14.5% of engineers in the UK, according to Engineering UK. The good news is that this number is rising. Comparison with 2016 data points to a 25.7% increase in women in engineering occupations (compared to a 4.6% increase in the overall workforce). This shows the value of outreach schemes like CUWES.
Springboard values diversity because it helps us to deliver better solutions to our clients. A key diversity issue is that women are under-represented in the industry, so we are working on ways to improve the balance. As a result, 25% of our technical staff identify as female, far surpassing the national average.
Though their focus is on supporting women and non-binary people, CUWES encourage all Cambridge students with an interest in engineering to join CUWES and attend their events. Springboard and CUWES will be hosting an event together later this year – be sure to follow CUWES on social media to keep up to date.
— Heather Jameson
