Why engineering apprenticeships are an 'under rated' route for women

Charlotte Buffey is finishing her final year of a degree apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce in Barnoldswick, making components for jet engines as part of a route that combines skills such as welding, heat treatment and chemical processing. She says the apprenticeship model helped her avoid university debt while still earning a materials engineering degree, after being pushed toward STEM subjects at school. While degree apprenticeships are now a popular entry point into more than 1,500 jobs, women remain underrepresented in STEM apprenticeships, rising just 1% year-on-year to 9% in the latest DfE figures. Experts argue engineering’s image still deters applicants.