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Arup promotes young female talent in Europe

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Cinthia Buchheister Europe Press Office, Germany,Berlin
26 April 2016

Arup is committed to inspiring young girls to enter the engineering profession and aims to increase the proportion of female employees in this so-called "male profession" through several initiatives and at the same time to counteract the projected shortage of specialists.

One of the already established initiavitves is the Girls' Day: for several years, Arup has been offering the possibility to young girls aged from 10 to 16 years of a day-long hands-on experience related to the engineering profession. The program includes presentations and workshops, in which the various engineering disciplines, from structural and façade design via building services to lighting and acoustics are explained in more detail. Girls' Days are organised in many Arup offices in Europe, mostly in collaboration with public institutions or associations.

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Gender equality is a key part of Arup's business strategy. Currently, 35 percent of all employees at Arup are women, but only 20 percent of our leaders are women. The firm aims to increase both rates by 2020, and to match female representation at the leaders' level with the total percentage of women working at Arup. ” Paul Coughlan Paul Coughlan Chief Operating Officer

In addition to the Girls' Day, Arup takes part in various local school programs to awaken interest among students in the engineering profession: In Berlin and Copenhagen, for example, young engineers and architects organise annual presentations and workshops at schools in socially disadvantaged neighbourhoods. In Amsterdam, Arup organises workshop at so-called 'Weekend School' for children requiring particular attention. In Ireland, Arup is taking part in the 'I WISH'-initiative specially tailored to young girls. During a two-day seminar female students learn about career opportunities in technical and scientific professions.

Girls‘ Day in Germany

On Thursday, 28th April German companies and organisations invite school-aged girls to participate in the annual Girls' Day. Arup will open its offices in Berlin and Frankfurt am Main for the ninth time in a row, to provide an initial insight into the engineering profession to a total of 20 girls. In Germany the Girls' Day is a project of 'Kompetenzzentrum Technik-Diversity-Chancengleichheit e.V.' (technology diversity equality). It is funded by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research and the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior citizens, Women and Youth.