Why engineering should be a woman's game

[RogerP]

Interesting short article by Dame Prof Ann Dowling - President, Royal Academy of Engineering

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30876899

 

[will1983]

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[Phil Pascoe]

Germany has it right - engineers are par with doctors, lawyers and so on. One problem is the terminology (which can't be backtracked, it's too far down the line) which allows people who change your brake pads or unclog the filter in your washing machine to call themselves "engineers".

 

[Bigbud78]

More worrying is the lack of technicians (draftsmen) who normally worked there way through doing HNC part time, the only people coming into the structural discipline are graduates so the tech/design engineer are merging into one.

I'm a firm believer that the term engineer has been watered down and so people think its a poor job, the fact is Chartered Engineers in structures, civil & mechanical are engineers. The guy who's fixes my washing machine or boiler is a technician.

 

[Bigbud78]

Germany has it right - engineers are par with doctors, lawyers and so on. One problem is the terminology (which can't be backtracked, it's too far down the line) which allows people who change your brake pads or unclog the filter in your washing machine to call themselves "engineers".

lol you beat me too it :lol:

I've been a drafy for 19 years, there's not many of us left now that started on a drawing board ! Its a long way from the 3D modelling I'm doing on Revit now :mrgreen:

 

[Mark A]

One problem is the terminology (which can't be backtracked, it's too far down the line) which allows people who change your brake pads or unclog the filter in your washing machine to call themselves "engineers".

My favourite is "Vending Machine Engineer" i.e. the bloke who tops up the machine with cans of Irn Bru and Curly Wurly's.

Another good one I saw on a staff wanted ad outside a cafe was "Dish Technician". Otherwise known as a pot washer...

 

[Harbo]

I'm a retired Chartered Civil Engineer and have had to live with this problem for 50yrs.
Even the introduction of CEng after your MICE didn't solve that issue but I do cheer whenever the words Civil Engineer are mentioned on TV!!
We sometimes do get some recognition? [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH]

Rod

 

[lurker]

I work in nuclear
We have lots of women engineers here and very good they are too.
We have lots of them because they are well respected and thus happy to work here.

Any documentation that describes someone as an engineer means a degree & experience as a minimum, you cannot progress to senior without CEng.

 

[will1983]

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[Racers]

Dole engineer, that's the respected one.

Pete

 

[Phil Pascoe]

:lol: Social Security Engineer?

 

[Harbo]

Somebody tried pushing Eur Ing which most professionals could have obtained but very few did and as far as I am aware never became widespread?

Rod

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

If you have two women engineers of equal skill and experience...which one would you hire?

 

[Steve Maskery]

If you has two women engineers of equal skill and experience...which one would you hire?

It depends.

If they were Civil Engineers, the one with the best infrastructure.
If they were Mechanical Engineers, the one with the best engine.
If they were Electrical Engineers, the one with least resistance.

S

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

beautifully answered Steve (and an excellent upgrade on the original punchline if I may say so)

 

[-Matt-]

Waste Disposal Technician.... Binman.

This (incorrect) use of terminology annoys me greatly, and I'm only 27! It annoys me that they have to dress up various jobs which are classed as, or seen as dull or skill-less just to remove that stigma.
For example I've known a few people who've said "Oh yes I'm a chef"... So it gets you to thinking of a decent restaraunt and such and no.... they flip burgers and call themself a chef.

 

[mailee]

I also hate the way they bull up jobs now with fancy names! I suppose I will have to call myself a wood technician. :lol: I have to admit that I didn't really know what a Civil Engineer was I assumed they built roads. Mind you when I left school there wasn't much choice in jobs as the careers people just seemed to push the basic skills mechanic, joiner, brick layer, electrician. No one ever thought about university as it was expensive and not for us numskulls. :lol:

 

[DennisCA]

Based on the title I was excepting an article on why women would be biologically more suited to engineering than men. Misleading and controversial sounding headlines to lure readers?

 

[Harbo]

The word "Civil" (Engineer) was given in medieval times to distinguish them from Military Engineers who used to undermine and destroy things like castles.
To quote - "Civil Engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings."

Sales pitch over

Rod

 

[Phil Pascoe]

How did they have engineers centuries before they had engines? :?