Ford marks INWED at showcase day

Ford invited 120 year 9 girls from 12 schools to attend it’s largest ever celebration of International Women in Engineering Day at its Dunton Technical Centre, Essex.

The event was held to raise the profile of women in engineering and showcase the diverse career opportunities at Ford.

‘In the centenary year of the Women’s Engineering Society, we are proud to be hosting so many young women at our Dunton site to celebrate INWED 2019,’ said Alexandra Walker, Powertrain quality manager.

‘This is a crucial time in their education as they make decisions that could open or close their career paths. We want to show the girls just how diverse and rewarding careers in STEM and, in particular, engineering can be, and give them a taste of what it’s like to be Ford engineer.’

The event gave the students the chance to learn about the diverse opportunities to which STEM subjects can lead. Activities organised at Dunton included a tour of the test track, programming, virtual reality experience, and rocket building.

According to research led by the Institute of Physics, currently 50% of GCSE physics students are girls, but this drops to just 20% at A-Level. The Dunton event is part of Ford’s commitment to Investing in the Talent Pipeline of the Future and addressing the imbalance between the genders in STEM related roles.