DIVERSITY I FEMALE ENGINEERS WALKINCi THETALK To celebrate International Women s Day, Liza Young and Alex Smith talk to prominent female engineers to find out what CIBSE is doing to make the building services industry more attractive to women utside building services, CIBSE CEO Ruth Carter has never before been lauded for being a female leader. I m almost dismissive of it because it s something I m not used to hearing; she says. It s not surprising that Carter s arrival last year was deemed worthy of attention. The UK has the lowest proportion of female engineers in Europe, making up only 14% of entrants to engineering and technology first-degree courses and 3.4% of engineering apprentices. Within CIBSE, the fig u re is 11%. International Women s Day on 8 March is an opportunity to raise the profile of female engineers and galvanise the industry into making the role more appealing to women. Carter wants CIBSE to help by supporting, nurturing and creating role models and the Institution is keen for women to take up more positions. At the last Board and Council nominations, it insisted no more than 60% of the reviewed candidates could be of one gender. Although CIBSE didn t hit the target initially , it approached individuals who then put forward their names. It s about walking the talk, proactively encouraging people to come forward; says Carter. Attracting women to CIBSE is one of the key aims of Kevin Kelly s presidency , and he believes seeing inspirational women in engineering helps girls realise there are opportunities in building services. It is a strategy he followed at Technological University Dublin, where he raised the recruitment of women from 10% to 15% by sending female engineers into schools. CIBSE and its members have a role here with outreach to young people and we look to our women members in particular to help us with this; Kelly says. leading the charge The profession and Institution are fortunate to have women in prominent positions who are willing to act as role models. Now I am in a position to do so, I believe it is important to put my head above the parapet; says Laura Mansel-Thomas FCIBSE, senior partner at Ingleton Wood. I know I am a rarity, leading, with the partnership team, a 220-person multidisciplinary consultancy; she says. As well as being a CIBSE Board member, Mansel-Thomas is a commissioner on the Essex Climate Action Commission, and a Colchester Ambassador. It is so important to 28 March 2022 www.cibsejournal.com I CIBSE March 22 pp28-29 Int Womans Day.indd 28 25/02/2022 15: 17 I