Empowering Female Engineers: Alumni Mentoring Program

1. Applicant to Alumni: Using targeted alumni interventions to increase aspiration for female engineering students Chris Birchall and Andy Smith

2. Chris Birchall: Employability Education Projects Officer • Andy Smith: Engineering Careers Consultant • University of Nottingham Faculty of Engineering Careers Team Introduction

3. Icebreaker

4. Skill Development Aspiration Raising

5. Inspiring Women in Engineering • A joint initiative between the Faculty of Engineering, Widening Participation, Careers and Employability Service and the Campaign & Alumni Relations Office. • Offer participating students an alumni mentor for 5 weeks. • During these 5 weeks these students would lead a project in a school setting, working 1:1 with a pupil. • At the end all participants would meet during a conference style event, showcasing the work carried out during the 5 weeks.

6. Situation: Women in Engineering • 2017 surveys indicate 11% of the engineering workforce is female. • 15.1% of engineering undergraduates in the UK in 2017 are women. Compared with India: where over 30% of engineering students are women. • BUT In a survey of 300 female engineers, 84% were either happy or extremely happy with their career choice. • AND Engineering students are second only to medics in securing full-time jobs and earning good salaries.

7. These points highlight two district challenges: • 2017 surveys indicate 11% of the engineering workforce is female. • 15.1% of engineering undergraduates in the UK in 2017 are women. Compared with India: where over 30% of engineering students are women. • Can one initiative address both and raise aspirations of each group? • We looked to work with school aged children to help promote access to engineering as well as progression from it. • Can we use the programme to develop our current students employability skills? • Can we also provide the young children with a set of role models?

8. What do alumni offer? • Bringing alumni in to assist development of current and potential students meets a range of university responsibilities. • Taking a targeted approach will ensure examples and experiences of selected alumni are relevant and have maximum impact on both groups. • Allows our student to be the mentor as well as the mentee. • Provide evidence of the impact a degree can have on your future career

9. Challenges: Engineering students are time poor. Schools can be hard to engage with. University structures are complex.

10. Challenges: Engineering students are time poor. Spring term, post January Exams, finishing in March. Sessions in school on a Wednesday afternoon. Secondary schools can be hard to engage with. Work with university partner school with existing links with the widening participation team. University structures are complex. Take time to speak to all teams and departments that would be able to help before setting off and identify areas of collaboration.

11. Skills we aimed to develop: Self-Management Teamwork Delegation Communication Networking Confidence Collaboration Problem Solving Responsibility Presenting

12. For University of Nottingham students who undertake the programme: • Help students develop vital communication skills by managing a short term project. • Assists them in thinking about communication to wider audiences than just engineers, what additional barriers this might add and how they can overcome these. • Allows students to drive a short term project under the guidance of a UoN alumni. • Receive careers guidance from an alumni working within their field of interest. • Excellent networking opportunity and a great chance to build links with engineers in their field.

13. For Alumni engaging with the project: • Opportunity to gain a valuable volunteering experience which differs from those already offered. • A chance to have an impact on two students at different stages of their education and influence pupils considering taking engineering after year 11. • A chance to provide regular feedback on the students’ progress. • Ability to engage in a short term project with a clear, well defined end goal. • Participation in a conference style event on campus, meeting with a large group of young future engineers including those they have worked with over the previous 5 weeks.

14. For Pupils taking part; • An engaging short term project allowing them to work with a current UoN student one-to-one. • An experience to help them develop skills which will assist them in their applications to higher education. • A chance to work under the supervision of two relevant role models at different stages of their career journey. • Help develop a better understanding of higher education and the options for studying engineering in the future.

15. Pulling it all together… • Consulted with students regarding the format of the programme. • Developed suitable training for student mentors and alumni volunteers. • Budgeted for programme (Travel, Food, Expenses etc.). • Marketing resources for future years. • Sourced 10 appropriate alumni, 10 students and 10 pupils.

17. Inspiring Women in Engineering The First Year

18. Project Brief • What information can you find out about the history of your city? Think about how your city has changed over time. • Can you source some useful facts about your city which you can include in your introduction? Things like: • Population • Size • Transport • Environment • Once you’re looked into the details of your city can you think of some challenges that your city faces moving forwards? • For each challenge you find can you put forward some potential solutions. These can be ‘blue sky’ solutions or examples of solutions put into practice in other cities.

19. 12.15: Alumni Welcome12.45: Pickup school pupils13.00: Welcome Talk 13.15: Lunch and Poster Session 13.45: Afternoon Activities - Identifying your strengths - Engineering Challenge - Tour of facilities 15.00: Closing Talk and Prize Giving 15.30: Close and walk pupils back to school Conference Itinerary

20. Result: The final posters and student feedback… Marketing Video

21. Skills to develop: Self-Management Teamwork Delegation Communication Networking Confidence Collaboration Problem Solving Responsibility Presenting

22. What facilitated the programmes success? • Engineering Careers at Nottingham University • Embedded alongside the faculty. • Hub and spoke model for all faculty teams. • Good working relationships with both engineering and alumni relations. • Working with already engaged alumni and schools.

23. Moving forwards • Plan for next year • Expand to outside Engineering • Include additional schools

24. Group Task: • Identify specific student groups which would benefit from a targeted approach. • Highlight the skills, knowledge and experiences you feel this specific group would benefit from developing. • What kind of alumni interaction could support this? • Feedback!

25. Summary. Different student groups enter HE with different development needs. Alumni can be used to provide relevant and relatable examples and guidance to underrepresented groups. Bringing these alumni into targeted careers events can help us in developing the skills and experiences of our students. By creating structured initiatives involving all three groups (applicants, students and alumni) we can inspire prospective students, whilst still developing the skills of our current students.

26. This form of tiered outreach allows applicants to benefit from the skills and experience of both current and past students. Gives potential applicants the chance to meet with role models at different stages, and better see their own potential journey. Utilises the social capital of alumni to support students. From applicant to alumni: a joined-up approach to social mobility https://wonkhe.com/blogs/from-applicant-to-alumni-a-joined-up-approach-to-social-mobility/