Pushing Change for women in motorsport

24 September 2024

We’ve loved hosting The Girls on Track programme, a joint initiative between the FIA and Motorsport UK, welcoming pupils from schools across the city to our state-of-the-art facilities at our IQ Building in Swansea, which is home to our Motorsport, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering programmes.

A group of girls dressed in red hoodies look closely at the wheel of a motorsports vehicle.

The aim of the two-day event was to inspire and encourage an interest in STEM subjects and industries amongst school girls, with the aim of increasing female participation in these sectors, using motorsport as a medium to expose them to the incredible opportunities and career paths within the sport.

The programme introduced participants to various aspects of the industry, including engineering, mechanics, and driving. Through hands-on workshops and educational sessions with University staff, students and industry professionals, the initiative breaks down barriers and challenges gender stereotypes.

Design, development and maintenance of modern vehicles, machinery and technologies are at the forefront of UWTSD’s Motorsport, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering programmes.

With opportunities to explore the fundamental skills of engineering as well as more specialised skills needed to equip students with the skills wanted by traditional and developing sectors, the aim is to produce employable graduates that are confident and ready for the workforce with transferable and interpersonal skills preparing them for the changing world of work.

Engineering is still a male-dominated field, and only 16.5% of engineers in the UK are female at present.

Abi Penny, Senior Lecturer in Engineering, said: “We’re passionate about inspiring and supporting future generations of talent from under-represented backgrounds.

“A key focus for us is to inspire and enable more girls to join the motorsport industry and Girls on Track was therefore an obvious choice for us to support and host activities - given the incredible work they already do. I hope the activities undertaken at our University will inspire the next generation of trailblazing women in engineering and motorsport.”