Airbus, McLaren and Rolls-Royce join Bristol…

Airbus, McLaren and Rolls-Royce join Bristol engineering jobs fair

Airbus, Budweiser, McLaren and Rolls-Royce are among the firms set to discuss opportunities for people from underrepresented backgrounds to get into engineering in Bristol this week.

More than 15 major organisations, also including Network Rail, the Royal Navy and Warburtons, will present at the careers fair at Bristol Beacon on Wednesday (October 5).

Attendees at the free event will hear from the businesses about jobs and apprenticeships they are offering to female, ethnic minority, LGBTQ+, and disabled engineers who are looking for work in the sector.

Research from EngineeringUK published earlier this year found 16.5% of the UK’s engineering workforce are female.

According to figures quoted by the Royal Academy of Engineer in October 2020 only 9% of engineers in the UK are from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds - despite 27% of first degree qualifiers in engineering being from these groups.

Mark McBride-Wright, is the founder of Inclusivity group EqualEngineers which has brought together the firms for the Bristol event.

Dr McBride-Wright, who is a safety engineer, said the organisation was aimg to get 100,000 diverse engineers jobs in the engineering and technology sectors by 2025.

Dr McBride-Wright said: “Engineering employers want to recruit inclusively and want access to underrepresented talent across multiple identities. This has been my primary driver in setting up EqualEngineers.”

Speaking about the Bristol event, he added: “Have you ever considered a career in engineering or technology? Perhaps you’re looking for some opportunities for when you finish school or college? Or, maybe you’re already in your career and are looking for a change?

“Whatever the case, this careers fair will give you the opportunity to speak with organisations looking to recruit talent just like you.

“They will answer your questions about opportunities they are actively recruiting for and we will also have some training providers and educational establishments to talk about how they will support you alongside employers.”