Schools need to do more to encourage young women into transportation and understand the career options available to girls, a Parliamentary reception supported by CIHT heard on Tuesday.

Baroness Prosser OBE told the ‘Women in Transport: Good for Business’ event: “Precious little advice is going to young women when it is needed, and insufficient energy is put in by schools to understand what businesses are looking for,” she said.

“It is important for girls when choosing their GCSEs to know what the outcomes and financial rewards can be from becoming an engineer.”

Balfour Beatty Living Places managing director Amanda Fisher added: “We need to inspire the younger generation about the fantastic things we do in terms of making communities better and more enjoyable places to live, work and play. Transport is an exciting place to be right now and we need to influence teachers and career advisers about the new types of skills we need.”

Reception host Louise Ellman MP, chairman of the Transport Select Committee, said more needs to be done to promote the image of transportation to young women. “We have to start that work in schools when children decide if a certain career is something for them. We also need to look at any barriers to entry, how transport is perceived by women and try to open doors for them.”

CIHT President Sheila Holden pointed out that the UK has the lowest proportion of women professional engineers of any EU country. “If we are to deliver a first class transport system fit for the 21st Century we have to attract and retain the best talent in the country,” she said.

“There is a wealth of evidence to suggest that greater diversity improves productivity and delivers a better bottom line for businesses.”

Also speaking at the event were the Women’s Transport Seminar’s president Camilla Ween, who championed the concept of flexible working to help mothers, and patron Lord Berkeley who said the number of women in transportation – particularly in railways – is “woefully inadequate”.

The event was sponsored by Parsons Brinckerhoff.

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