What is Let’s TWIST?

Let’s TWIST (Train Women in Science, Engineering, Construction and Technology) aims to ensure women’s long-term participation in construction and technology training and occupations. It is a very exciting initiative that has developed a strong reputation for its cutting edge work nationally in the UK and in Europe. We have a massive range of activities locally, regionally and nationally working with women and girls, learning providers, careers professionals and employers.

Why are we needed?

There are many rewards in choose engineering as a career - the pay is significantly better than in the jobs where the majority of women work, for instance in the caring, health and service sectors. Engineering is rewarding and challenging and can offer self-employment, opportunities to travel and the possibility to work outdoors.

However it is not always easy to choose engineering as a career if you are female. Initially, it can be hard to know what engineering actually is unless you’ve tried it; it’s hard to stand up to your friends and for your career choice to be taken seriously; it’s hard if you're older and want a career change – will I be laughed at? It’s hard walking into a classroom if you are the only female.

Whilst it is important to promote and encourage the participation of women in careers that are considered to be non traditional, it is also important to understand and address the barriers which contribute to the lack of women studying and working in these areas.

The following diagram outlines some of the barriers to women’s entry into engineering, construction and technology. It is only by addressing issues raised by all of these target groups that women will make any significant presence in the industrial sectors.

Let’s TWIST works holistically to breakdown the barriers. Our activities include:

• Encouraging girls to understand and get excited by engineering
• Providing education and training courses for women, especially women returners
• Supporting women and girls through a mentoring programme linking them to women working in the industries
• Delivering awareness raising training to lecturers in Higher and Further Education and work based learning providers to create conducive learning environments for women.
• Developing and delivering staff development training to careers professionals to overcome gender stereotyping in careers education and guidance

Who is Let’s TWIST relevant to?

• Are you female just thinking about your subject options at school and don’t know what to choose but would really like the opportunity to try your hand at engineering?
• Are you female and just about to leave school and wondering about an apprenticeship in a technical field but don’t know where to go for advice?
• Are you bored with being an administrator and looking for a career change – you’ve heard the construction industry is crying out for women, but don’t know where you could train?
• Are you female, working or studying in engineering and feeling isolated, thinking you might drop out – if only you knew of other women doing something similar?

See also the JIVE website for more information and resources.

• Are you a learning provider wondering why you can’t recruit women onto your courses?
• Have you just had an inspection and got a low grade for equal opportunities or learner support?
• Do you try and persuade employers to employ female apprentices but don’t know how to counteract prejudices?
• Are you an employer nervous about how the men will react if you give a job on site to a woman?
• Are you a careers advisor not sure if you would be happy advising a girl to be a mechanic?
• A careers teacher not sure how to steer the girls into engineering because they always seem to want to choose traditional female careers?

If you are a professional or employer and need some solutions for cracking the problems of poor recruitment visit the JIVE website, who are creating change for women and girls in science, engineering, construction and technology.

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Bradford college is categorised as a "further education corporation as defined by the further and higher education act 1992". Bradford college's V.A.T registration number is 607 0244 76.