Report from RAEng - Improving employment opportunities for diverse engineering graduates

Amy Boothby, an Agricultural Engineering student at Harper Adams University and now on the IAgrE Council, & Sarah McLeod from the Secretariat had a very interesting afternoon at the Royal Academy of Engineering where they outlined the success of the pilot Graduate Engineering Recruitment Scheme they have initiated.  This scheme targets BME and female Engineering students, traditionally leaving engineering post-graduation or struggling to get to interview with employers and gives them the tools to empower them to start their careers.  This is done by applying for a 2 day course run by SEO London at which CV and mentoring advice is given as well as the opportunity to speed network with graduate employers.  We heard how successful the pilot had been and three graduates who had been through the programme and are now employed told us their stories.

The Academy has also created an Engineering employer inclusive recruitment tool kit, an online package enabling employers to take advantage of others’ best practice in order to improve their own diversity outcomes.  Members are invited to use the toolkit, which may be accessed here.

Other information available from the event may be found here:

For those who were unable to attend, we hope you find the following links to reports and resources useful. Do feel free to share to support increasing diversity and inclusion in engineering:

• View and download the report and EEP Video
• Press release about the event
• The day’s programme, including speakers’ bios
• Slides from the day
• Diversity and Inclusion Programme newsletters
• Diversity and inclusion web pages
• The Academy's diversity and inclusion in engineering LinkedIn forum