Female Engineering Enrolment at QUB and Ulster University Surges as NI Industry Remains Male-Dominated
The number of women enrolling in engineering degree programmes at Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University has risen sharply over the past decade, with female enrolment in Mechanical Engineering at QUB up 40% and the number of women studying engineering at Ulster nearly doubling — though industry figures show women still hold only around 11% of engineering roles in Northern Ireland, highlighting a persistent gap between the academic pipeline and workplace reality.
Background
Engineering has historically been one of the most male-dominated professions in Northern Ireland and across the United Kingdom. The reasons are complex and deeply rooted — from the way the subject is taught and perceived in secondary schools to the culture of engineering workplaces and the relative absence of visible female role models in senior positions. For decades, efforts to increase female participation in engineering education produced only marginal results, with women consistently accounting for fewer than one in five engineering students at most UK universities. The picture has begun to change, driven by a combination of targeted outreach programmes, changes in how engineering is presented to young people, and a growing recognition within the industry that the sector's persistent labour shortages cannot be addressed without drawing on the full talent pool. Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University have both invested significantly in initiatives designed to attract and retain female students in engineering programmes, including mentoring schemes, industry partnerships, and outreach to secondary schools across Northern Ireland.
Key Developments
The data published this week reflects the cumulative impact of those efforts. Over the past decade, female enrolment in Mechanical Engineering at QUB has risen by 40%, while the number of women studying engineering at Ulster University has nearly doubled. Professor Juliana Early of Queen's University noted that the increase in enrolment is a clear indicator that institutional efforts to encourage women to pursue engineering are proving successful. Despite the encouraging trends in higher education, the gap between academic participation and industry employment remains stark. Women currently hold approximately 11% of engineering roles in Northern Ireland and constitute around 23% of the manufacturing workforce in the region. Some companies have made notable progress. Powerscreen, the Dungannon-based manufacturer of screening and crushing equipment, reported that 50% of its senior leadership team is now female — a remarkable figure for a heavy engineering company. But Powerscreen is an outlier. Across the sector, women in senior engineering roles remain the exception rather than the rule, and the culture of many engineering workplaces continues to present challenges for female employees. Industry bodies have emphasised that the influx of female graduates is essential for alleviating the labour shortages and technical skill gaps that have constrained growth in Northern Ireland's engineering and manufacturing sectors.
Why It Matters
The engineering sector is central to Northern Ireland's economic future. From the advanced manufacturing clusters in Antrim and Londonderry to the aerospace supply chain around Belfast and the growing data infrastructure sector, engineering underpins a significant proportion of the region's high-value employment. A sector that draws on only half the available talent pool is a sector that is structurally constrained — and the evidence from companies that have successfully diversified their workforces suggests that gender-balanced teams produce better outcomes across a range of metrics, from innovation to staff retention. The gap between academic participation and industry employment also points to a retention problem that goes beyond recruitment. Women who enter engineering careers in Northern Ireland are leaving the profession at higher rates than their male counterparts, often citing workplace culture, limited flexible working options, and a lack of visible progression pathways.
Local Impact
At QUB's School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in Belfast's University Quarter, the increase in female students is visible in lecture theatres and laboratories that were, a decade ago, overwhelmingly male. Ulster University's campuses in Belfast and Jordanstown have seen similar changes. The universities have both invested in dedicated support structures for female engineering students, including peer mentoring networks and industry placement programmes with companies that have committed to inclusive workplace practices. Secondary schools across Northern Ireland — from Belfast's grammar schools to rural comprehensives in Tyrone and Fermanagh — are being targeted with engineering outreach programmes designed to challenge stereotypes and broaden the pool of young women considering engineering as a career.
What's Next
Queen's University Belfast and Ulster University will publish updated enrolment data for the 2026-27 academic year in October. The Department for the Economy is expected to publish a new STEM skills strategy for Northern Ireland before the end of the year, which is expected to include specific targets for female participation in engineering education and employment. Industry bodies including Manufacturing NI and the Engineering Employers' Federation have been asked to contribute data on female employment and progression rates to inform the strategy.
