Sixth Form Students Smashing STEM Stereotypes

19 Apr 2024

For the first time in a long time, this year’s A Level Design & Technology students have been an all-female cohort. Taught by two male DT teachers, our ‘fab four’ Sixth Form girls are not afraid to go against the stereotypical grain and take on the challenge of entering a male-dominated industry. We feel very inspired by the girls so we delved a little deeper to find out their thoughts on working in gender-dominated industries and why they aren’t afraid to smash those stereotypes.

Why did you pick to study Design & Technology at A Level?

I’ve always been very drawn to the combination of applied maths and science with artistic design, so this enabled me to combine those two, especially at a higher standard at A Level. My interest in studying architecture is based on not just design but being able to implement real-world science and technology to actually create something real.

What are you hoping to use your Design & Technology A Level towards?

I’m planning to study architecture / architectural technology at university. Having the experience here that I wouldn’t be able to get in another subject like modelling and making and design means I can develop rather than just create something with no purpose. I think this has been very useful and is something I will take forward with me.

Do you feel like you are entering a male-dominated industry?

I would say so yes, particularly more in the engineering field than the architecture field. I think architecture is in a very pivotal shift at the moment, it’s a bit more 50/50 but generally in terms of engineering and technology I would say I definitely feel quite singled out as a woman.

Do you feel that studying DT and working alongside three other females is empowering?

I think it’s definitely challenged a couple of people’s mentalities. When people ask what I study and I say I study Design and Technology people always respond with ‘Oh that’s different’ so I like to think I’m helping people be more open-minded about this.

I wouldn’t say I feel empowered but it’s pretty cool to say I’m doing what I want to do regardless of what other people have to say about it.

Do you feel like stereotypes are changing around different industries?

I think at the moment it’s very difficult to say because we are at such a pivotal point in time where these things are becoming more diverse and accepted. So I do feel like stereotypes are changing and I’m really grateful we’ve reached a point where we can have women in these industries and it’s not as frowned upon as it would be 20 years ago. I still do feel like there are very strong stigmas, harmful attitudes and stereotypes that we need to overcome, particularly in areas like engineering and construction. I would say there is still a very big problem from what I’ve seen personally but I do feel like stereotypes are changing. We are at a point where we are becoming more open-minded but we are very early in that progress.

Do the stats on gender ratios in those industries concern you?

I think it is a little bit of a worry, I do kind of think about the future and what is my working environment going to look like and whether I am going to be treated with the same level of respect. Am I going to be valued in the same way as my co-workers? I think you can’t get to that point where it isn’t an issue if you don’t have people doing it now. So if that means I’m going to be one of the people now then I might as well.

Are there any female role models that you look up to?

I guess I’d say my mum is a very big inspiration for me as a woman. I come from a very male-dominated household so my mum is the only woman that I see on a regular basis so I take her as a big inspiration. She’s always been very encouraging of me and she’s never tried to sway me on anything based on gender. She’s always been very open-minded and encouraged me to do what I want to do. She’s been a big inspiration and really been one of the women that has pushed me to be the best I can be.

Are there any female architects that inspire you?

Zara Hadid – she’s a famous architect who’s won hundreds of awards for buildings with really out-there extravagant designs and I’m a pretty big fan of those.

The other one I’d name is Alison Smithson who worked together with her husband Peter. They are core figures for the realist movement which I again kind of dived into for my bus stop project. I think it’s quite interesting especially because it would have been around the 1950’s and she was so well recognised in her industry despite being a woman.

What project are you most proud of?

My nativity display. The project was the first time I really did something on my own. It’s the first time I worked with Mr Swan at this level and being given the freedom to work more independently kind of reassured me that I am capable of doing things like that so I think personally that would be my favourite, it’s a stronger reflection of me as an individual but I also think it just looks better.

Have you got any advice for our younger girls deciding what industry they would like to work in? 

Don’t pick things based on what other people want you to do. Do what you want to do and what you think you are going to be good at. Rather than what other people want because they don’t matter.

Why did you pick to study Design & Technology at A Level?

I chose to study DT because I like the projects in DT and the coursework also helps me to do architecture in the future. I’d like to be an architect.

Do you feel like you are entering a male-dominated industry?

Kind of yes because males mostly work with the materials and construction.

Do you feel like stereotypes are changing around different industries?

Yes, because now both genders are treated equally. Going into male-dominated industries the balance is increasing bit by bit.

Do the stats on gender ratios in that industry concern you?

Yes.

What project are you most proud of?

In Year 7 I made a ukulele that was made out of wood. I enjoy those woodwork projects.

Have you got any advice for our younger girls deciding what industry they would like to work in? 

If you enjoy it don’t be put off by males. If you enjoy it and you are good at it then work towards your goals and just push forward.

Why did you pick to study Design & Technology at A Level?

It’s something that can help me achieve the career I want to go into. I want to work for the RAF as an aircraft technician, so this is certainly going to help.

The skills that this offers and builds will help me more in the future with what I want to get into more so than the degree.

I’ve been in the CCF for five years at this point so using that and my DT skills will help towards my goal. I started in the RAF in Year 9 and that showed me all of the careers I can go down. I wanted to be a pilot initially then realised I wanted to be behind the scenes and fixing the planes.

Do you feel like you are entering a male-dominated industry?

Definitely!

Does it concern you entering a male-dominated industry?

Well while I was a cadet in St. Mary’s CCF I did start in the army section so I was surrounded by boys so I got used to it however in the RAF it’s a lot more even so not as many fears as I would have going into the army section. I think the RAF is more welcoming to that as well. In this day and age, everyone’s going to be more welcoming about more women entering a male-dominated workforce so I’m more than happy to be part of that change.

Do you feel empowered working alongside three other females?

Yes

Do you feel like stereotypes are changing around different industries?

You can see that even in advertisements they are trying to use more women in pictures so even if it is more male-dominated they are showing that you will still be welcomed. It’s changing for the better.

Are there any female role models that you look up to?

I’m honestly not educated in female DT role models but my flight sergeant is a woman.

What project are you most proud of?

My bus shelter I’m doing now.

Have you got any advice for our younger girls deciding what industry they would like to work in? 

Just try, nothing is going to happen if you don’t do it.

Why did you pick to study Design & Technology at A Level?

I started it later in the year so I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it because I want to go into journalism but I thought if that doesn’t work out I’d rather have something that I know I can do to fall back on and I thought it would be really enjoyable. It’s one of my favourite subjects.

Do you feel like you are entering a male-dominated industry?

Yes definitely, it is very male-dominated, especially the type of journalism I want to go into, sports journalism. You hardly see women, even if you do see women they’ve gone through so much to get to where they need to be. I also feel like DT is a male-dominated subject so it’s quite cool that we get to have four girls doing it in Sixth Form and no boys.

Do you feel empowered working alongside all girls?

I do, because I think it shows women can do the same as men. The fact that there are no boys shows that there isn’t a gender divide between subjects. Especially in this school, it’s quite equal.

Do you feel like stereotypes are changing around different industries?

If you look at them they are changing quite a bit but there are some parts of it where they are the same and no one is taking action to fix what is going on. They are lightly doing it but nothing deeper down to stop the gender divide.

How do you feel entering a very male-dominated industry?

There are times when you wonder if they are going to pick them over me because of gender but that’s the only thing. Sometimes you look at the statistics of males and females in the roles you want to go in and it’s so low that you think do I even have a chance of getting in? DT though is run by two male teachers and they are the sweetest people ever. I feel so comfortable with them and they push us to do more and get to where we need to be.

So knowing the stats I know I’ve got to push myself to get to where I need to be because if I don’t then there’s no point in me doing what I want to do. There’s no point actually thinking about it if I’m not going to push myself.

Are there any female role models that you look up to?

I feel like my mum is. In my household my mum is the boss of the house, she does everything. You look at her and you know she’s had so many hardships and she’s still going. She would be like top tier I want to be her, she’s just amazing.

Outside my family, there is this one journalist – Lizzie Macintosh. She’s a journalist in F1. She came about through doing social media like TikTok and then after she got more into sport. She is now quite a prominent journalist and there was a point where she got some backlash from other male managers or reporters but she’s just pushed through and defended herself and it’s paid off.

Have you got any advice for our younger girls deciding what industry they would like to work in? 

I feel like even if it’s quite a male-dominated area you don’t have to be afraid to push for what you want. You’ve got to fight for what you want because, in the end, you want to be the best you can be so you need to push yourself to do that to prove the people wrong who say you can’t do it. In the end, it’s your life, it’s what you want to do so go for it!