Increasing Diversity in Engineering Projects - Volunteer Request
The Hertfordshire Business School, based at the University of Hertfordshire are looking for volunteers who are Members of the ICE to take part in a focus group interview.
They want to gain a better understanding of the issues and problems faced by ethnic minority people and those from working class backgrounds when considering engineering as a job or profession.
The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) has commissioned The University of Hertfordshire to collect data to develop a better understanding of the issues and problems faced by ethnic minority people and those from working class backgrounds when considering engineering as a job or profession.
They are specifically trying to find out why only a few British ethnic minority and working class people choose engineering as a profession. We are also attempting to understand why even for those who do choose to study engineering at university or through apprenticeship schemes, only a few end up actually working as
engineers. Some of the issues they are trying to understand are:
- How people from ethnic minority and working class backgrounds view the engineering profession. Is it attractive or off putting? Why? Is this different for different types of engineering?
- What experiences have they had of working in engineering?
- What are the barriers faced by people from these backgrounds (including education, role models, aspirations, family, stereotypes, employment issues and support)
- Whether different groups within ethnic minorities and working class people have different views. For example are the experiences of black women similar or different to black men and/or white working class women?
To do this RAEng and the Hertfordshire Business School are looking for volunteers to take part in a focus group interview. The interview will be conducted in London (travel expenses are paid for). All information you provide will be treated with confidentiality and with the assurance that you cannot be identified in any of the reports that are produced on the project. This will be explained more fully before the interview starts.
For more information, please visit the Click here for more information or contact Dr Cynthia Forson - Principal Investigator.