Girls are increasingly choosing high-tech engineering fields such as biomedical engineering, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and healthcare technologies, according to a major study, even as boys continue to dominate the profession overall.
Research by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which is headquartered in London, and careers platform Unifrog, titled The Future is Engineering: What Young People Really Think, found that the traditional gender divide has disappeared in biomedical engineering. This suggests girls are opting for careers that combine technology, healthcare and innovation rather than traditional pathways.
The report also challenges the idea that engineering struggles to attract young people. It ranked third out of 21 university subject areas researched among students planning their futures.
Boys remain more likely to shortlist engineering degrees, at 14 per cent compared with 4 per cent of girls. Students interested in engineering are more likely to view themselves as strong problem-solvers (68 per cent) and confident with numeracy (47 per cent) than their peers (59 per cent and 35 per cent respectively).
Aspiring engineers are also more likely to engage with employers, attend careers events and visit universities, with 37 per cent doing so compared with 24 per cent of non-engineering students. They show less interest in fame or prestige, at 12 per cent against nearly a quarter (20 per cent) of other students. Instead they place greater value on practical experience, employer engagement and understanding future career opportunities.
Matthew Rooney, Head of Engineering Policy and Impact at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: “Engineering is changing, and young people are changing with it. The stereotype that engineering is only about engines, factories and hard hats is disappearing. Today’s engineers are designing life-saving medical devices, developing artificial intelligence, transforming healthcare and tackling some of society’s biggest challenges. It’s encouraging to see more girls recognising that engineering offers exciting careers where they can make a real difference.
“While there is still much more to do to close the overall gender gap, these findings show the future of engineering is becoming broader, more diverse and more appealing than ever before.”
The report highlights biomedical engineering as one of the fastest-growing disciplines, driven by an ageing population, healthcare innovation and advances in medical technology. This creates opportunities for more women to help address engineering’s wider skills gap.
Interest in engineering is consistent across socioeconomic backgrounds. However, traditional disciplines such as civil engineering remain less popular despite their role in housing, infrastructure, climate resilience and Net Zero, creating a future skills risk.
The findings are based on anonymised Unifrog data from thousands of 14 to 16-year-olds and show that aspiring engineers actively seek information, employer engagement and real-world experience.
Image source Pixabay
