A LEADING engineer has said it is "shameful" that only one in 10 professionals working in the industry is female.

Bryan Buchan, who is the head of industry support body Scottish Engineering, said it was “sad to say” that engineering may still be seen as a male occupation, despite concerted efforts to address the gender imbalance.

He warned there continues to be a “blight of skills shortage” which could get worse with the “likely loss” of some of the skilled immigrant workforce as the pound’s weakness against the Euro is predicted to deter migrants.

Speaking after it emerged that two-thirds of firms report problems in recruiting engineers, Mr Buchan said: "There is still a huge opportunity to draw more from 50 per cent of our population, and it is shameful that in 2017 women represent less than 10 per cent of our professional staff.

The Herald:

"A number of efforts have been made to entice women into careers in engineering and technology and it has been very slow to take off.

“With every effort that has been made so far, we still have a huge imbalance in male to female professional engineers.”

He said he hoped initiatives such as the Primary Engineer programmes might help bring more women into the industry.

The not-for-profit organisation works with schools to encourage young people to consider careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

He added: “Sometimes I cast a net around our membership to see who is at a relatively senior level who is female that we can get involved in our organisation at executive level and it’s slim pickings.

"We do have female representation on our executive but it is disproportionate."

While Scotland has produced a number of world-renowned engineers, there is only one woman in the Scottish Engineering Hall of Fame – Dorothée Pullinger, a car designer who worked at the Arroll-Johnson car plant in Paisley.

And for the small numbers of women who are engineers, a recent report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers discovered many are subjected to unacceptable behaviour in the workplace.

Anna Ritchie Allan, executive director of the equality campaigners Close the Gap, said it was “not a coincidence” that the industries which have the greatest skills shortages are also those in which women are under-represented.

She said:“We know that many women leave male-dominated jobs because of male-oriented workplace cultures that don’t feel inclusive to them.

"The dearth of women in engineering, and the under-use of women’s skills across the labour market, comes at significant cost to employers and the wider economy.

“Initiatives to increase the skills supply into the industry are welcome, but equally important are efforts to change employment practice and workplace culture.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We absolutely agree Scotland needs more women in engineering and other science, technology and mathematics (STEM) occupations. That is why last month we launched a new STEM strategy.

“The strategy, spanning 2017 to 2022, outlines actions designed to inspire enthusiasm for STEM among all sectors of society.

“Key measures include strengthening the delivery of STEM education, addressing unconscious bias and gender stereotyping, and ensuring the development of skills that meet employers’ needs.”