Switch on to girl power

Scottish Government minister Lorna Slater urges more women to join the construction industry in a SELECT video

Image: Scottish Government Minister Lorna Slater | Credit: © Scottish Government

Women have a vital role to play in the engineering sector and should be proactively recruited into renewables and emergent technologies to help build a net zero society.

That’s the message from Lorna Slater, Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, who called for more women in the industry during an exclusive video interview with Fiona Harper, our Director of Employment and Skills.

Ms Slater gained a degree in electro-mechanical engineering in her native Canada before moving to Scotland – and said any women mulling over a similar job in construction should “dive in”.

MSP Lorna told Fiona about her hopes for the industry in a video interview

She said: “When I was considering engineering as a career, the main pathways into it were maths and physics, both subjects in which girls are historically under-represented, so we have to make these subjects more accessible to young women.

“By the time I started working, it was really normal for me to be the only woman in the room, and I got used to that – but we shouldn’t. We shouldn’t allow that to be normal.

“We need to proactively tell girls what great careers they can have in the emergent industries”

“We need to proactively tell girls what great careers they can have in the emergent industries. So we have to go out, encourage them and encourage them to stay.”

Ms Slater, who is co-leader of the Scottish Green Party, said she had a simple message for girls who might want to take part: “Don’t hesitate, dive in, take that big step. You can help build the world you want to see – and your country needs you. These are good jobs where you get to collaborate, work together and problem solve.”

Fiona said: “We are grateful to the Minister for delivering this important message. Women have a vital role to play in our sector and it is vital that we seek out female talent to help us develop the technology of tomorrow.”