Edinburgh Napier University’s Scottish Resource Centre for Women in SET running a £250,000 scheme to assist women choosing science and engineering as a career.
A new placement scheme has launched to boost the number of women choosing these two fields as a career.
Forty-five new summer placements have been created as part of the Careerwise initiative, which aims to help create a more equal workforce.
Currently, only 13% of the science, engineering and technology (SET) workforce in Scotland are women.
Applicants have until 31 March to apply to the Scottish Government-funded scheme, which will be run by Edinburgh Napier University’s Scottish Resource Centre for Women in SET.
Placement opportunities are on offer to female undergraduates studying science, technology, engineering, and maths courses.
They range from oil and gas engineering posts in Aberdeen and software engineer work in Edinburgh, to ecology and hydrology-related placements in Penicuik.
Linda Somerville, Manager of the Scottish Resource Centre for Women in SET, said: “We are delighted to have the support of over twenty Scottish employers. It is encouraging to see so many organisations offering crucial work experience and career development opportunities to women aspiring to be tomorrow’s scientists and engineers.”
The Careerwise initiative will also provide female school pupils, and students in college or university, with information on the types of career opportunities in SET and the route into these sectors.
Angela Constance, Youth Employment Minister, said: “We launched CareerWISE to encourage more young women at school to consider jobs in science and engineering, to challenge the outdated thinking that some jobs are only for boys. “We can and must do more to promote the participation of women in science, technology engineering and mathematics.
“By putting a specific focus on encouraging girls and young women to widen their career options into these sectors, this will help us to properly balance our future workforce and ensure the make-up of our employers accurately reflects Scottish society.
“Edinburgh Napier University’s Scottish Resource Centre for Women is helping to redress the balance and I encourage all undergraduates with interests in this area to apply.”
For more information about applying placement opportunities visit the Scottish Resource Centre’s website.
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