Get involved with Women in Engineering

We want to see a broad systemic change that benefits industry, the wider community in Australia and globally, not just at UQ. For this to be achieved, we fundamentally believe that schools, universities, and industry need to collaborate.

The Women in Engineering (WE) program commenced in 2013 as the first industry-funded and university-led program of its kind. Support from industry partners has prompted a steady increase in women studying engineering at The University of Queensland (UQ) and in turn, more women are entering the engineering industry than ever before. Females accounted for 27.5 per cent of the 2023 commencing engineering cohort - up from 18.8 per cent before 2013 and well above the current national average of 18 per cent. However, more resources and support is needed to reach the program KPI of 30 per cent female student participation in engineering at UQ by 2023 and ensure sustainable growth.

Our approach incorporates 360-degree input and feedback from school to industry, so we lead women to an industry that is ready for them. Our current program partners – Rio Tinto, Anglo American, The Australian Power Institute, Sandvik, EM Solutions, Ergon Energy + Energex, Powerlink Queensland, Hatch, Origin Energy and Queensland Rail  – have representatives on our Industry Advisory Board to guide the program. Our program is led by a dedicated team, including two engineers, ensuring that our message to young women is authentic, and supported further by a team of Student Leaders from all engineering disciplines and year levels.

Get involved with Women in Engineering

At its core, engineers are problem solvers. As every problem solver knows, the more inputs that are known, the easier the problem is to solve. The best engineering team must, therefore, be as diverse as the society they work in.
Diversity eliminates silo thinking, fosters innovation, and helps break down prejudices and subconscious biases. Most importantly, diversity is proven to generate better-performing and more creative teams. UQ Women in Engineering are creating change for a better world.

Why partner with us?

WE work collaboratively with you to guide the program and our strategic direction to reach our shared goal. WE have multiple opportunities for your organisation to connect and engage with prospective and current students to support and build our pipeline of diverse talent. 

WE have a...

• Track record that speaks for itself.
  In 2022 alone, WE have had meaningful interactions with over 2600 high school women, which is now our highest engagement over 10 years of the program. WE have increased our percentage of women commencing Engineering at UQ this year to 27 per cent.

• Recognised brand with extensive contacts.
  WE have built a network of over 200 high schools and pride ourselves on the sustained and long-term engagement with our teachers and guidance officers. WE are strongly positioned to keep growing the diverse engineering talent pool and expanding our reach regionally too.

• Dedicated team.
  Our program consists of three dedicated staff members, including two engineers, one marketing and communications professional and a team of student leaders who are all motivated current engineering students keen to share their passion with prospective students and support their peers. 

• Commitment to sharing knowledge.
  While UQ has cemented its position as the university of choice for women studying engineering in Queensland, our goal is to see other universities successfully grow their women enrolments. WE established the University Collaboration Workshop in 2016, bringing together university networks, industry, and other organisations to knowledge share and work towards a collective goal.

Benefits to industry:

• Industry Advisory Board members to guide the strategic direction of the program including monthly updates, quarterly meetings, and annual report 
• Direct access to prospective and current students through guest speaking opportunities, and industry networking events
• Member of the National University Collaboration Network as we work collectively to increase women's participation across Australia and New Zealand
• Regional outreach opportunities to align with your organisation’s regional footprint 
• Invite students to your organisation through our Industry Day and Shadow an Engineer initiatives
• Mentor a Student Leader through our Mentoring with a Difference program
• Promote diverse industries and careers that make a difference through our podcast series But Seriously, What is Engineering?
• Marketing and communications support including content and social platforms
• Our program partners are promoted and acknowledged on all our collateral and engagements

To learn more about the program, download our 2022 Annual Report.

2022 Annual Report (PDF, 15 MB)

For more information on how to become a program partner, contact: 

Weston Bruner, Director of Advancement.
Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Email: w.bruner@uq.edu.au