Despite progress, many UK industries remain male-dominated at senior and technical levels. Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) are no exception. One reason the talent pipeline stays narrow is that girls still receive subtle messages that these subjects, and the careers they lead to, are not really for them.
Women already in business are uniquely placed to change that narrative. By becoming visible role models, challenging outdated stereotypes and opening doors through education and work experience, women founders, directors and professionals can help keep girls engaged in STEM and guide them into rewarding careers. This article sets out practical, evidence-based ways women in business can open STEM careers to more girls in 2026.
The STEM pipeline still narrows at further education
The drop-off is sharpest when girls move from GCSEs into further education and training. According to the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), in 2024 female students accounted for just 15.2% of A-level computing entries and 23.8% of A-level physics entries. While maths remains more balanced, further maths and computer science continue to attract far more boys than girls.
The tech sector illustrates the challenge clearly: although women in tech jobs are growing in number, they remain under-represented in senior and technical roles. The gap is equally visible in vocational routes. EngineeringUK reports that women made up only 16.1% of engineering apprenticeship starts in England in 2022/23. Construction and the built environment show a similar pattern, with women remaining a tiny minority of starts. These patterns continue into the workforce: WISE estimates that women held 28.9% of core STEM roles in the UK in 2023, with technology and engineering still below that average.
Closing these gaps is not only a question of fairness. As the UK accelerates its net-zero and artificial intelligence agendas, the economy needs more engineers, data scientists, technicians and green-energy specialists. The National Careers Service and the Department for Education continue to highlight STEM careers as priority pathways. Keeping girls in STEM is therefore a business issue as much as an educational one.
Stereotypes remain the biggest barrier
Research by the Institute of Physics and EngineeringUK consistently shows that girls do not drop STEM because they lack ability. At GCSE, girls outperform or match boys in most science and maths subjects. Instead, they drop out because the subjects no longer feel relevant, welcoming or “for people like me”.
Gendered assumptions start early and are reinforced by classroom dynamics, career advice and media representation. Teachers, parents and employers often hold unconscious biases about who is suited to technical work, and girls absorb those signals. By the time they choose A-levels, apprenticeships or degrees, many have already ruled out engineering, computing or physics.
Women in business can counter this by showing that STEM careers are creative, collaborative and socially useful. Sharing authentic stories, how you use problem-solving, design thinking or data to make a difference, helps girls see beyond the lab-coat stereotype.
Visible role models change minds
You cannot be what you cannot see. A 2023 Tech She Can and PwC survey found that 78% of students could not name a famous woman working in technology. When girls struggle to picture women in technical roles, they are less likely to believe those roles are open to them.
Women in business can fill that visibility gap. Speaking at school and college careers events, taking part in STEM Ambassador activities, and sharing career journeys on LinkedIn or at industry events all help. You do not need to be a chief executive or Nobel laureate to be a role model: a relatable woman who enjoys her STEM job and explains how she got there can be far more influential.
Mentoring is especially powerful. Through formal schemes or your own professional network, offering regular guidance to a sixth-former, apprentice or undergraduate builds confidence, expands her contacts and demystifies workplace culture.
Support FE, apprenticeships and vocational routes
University is not the only route into STEM, and women in business can do a great deal to make apprenticeships, T Levels and FE college courses more attractive to girls. Vocational pathways often lead directly into well-paid technical careers, yet they are still perceived by many families as second best or as male territory.
Female lecturers and technicians are scarce in some FE STEM departments. Women remain heavily outnumbered among engineering teaching staff in further education, so women from industry who move into teaching, guest lecture, or supervise work placements help normalise the idea that women belong in workshops, labs and machine rooms. Real-world examples such as the Bristol woman training the next generation of tradeswomen show how business owners can reshape vocational pathways.
Businesses can also open their doors. Offering high-quality work experience, sponsoring T Level industry placements, and designing apprenticeships with flexible hours and clear progression routes all signal that your sector welcomes women. Partnering with organisations such as WISE, STEM Learning and local colleges makes this easier to organise at scale.
Practical ways women in business can build STEM careers for girls
- Become a STEM Ambassador. Volunteer through STEM Learning to support lessons, clubs and careers events in schools and colleges.
- Offer mentoring. Use your professional experience to guide a young woman exploring STEM choices or returning to technical work.
- Open up work experience. Create placements, shadowing days or virtual insight sessions that show the range of roles inside your business.
- Audit your imagery and language. Make sure your website, recruitment materials and social media include women doing technical, not just administrative, work.
- Back flexible pathways. Advocate for part-time apprenticeships, returnships and career-break policies so women can stay in STEM long term.
- Fund or sponsor initiatives. Support coding clubs, engineering competitions or scholarships for girls at local schools and FE colleges.
- Speak up in your sector. Use your voice at industry bodies and conferences to push for inclusive curricula, fair recruitment and better data on women in STEM.
Conclusion: women in business can open STEM careers
The shortage of women in STEM will not be solved by schools alone. Women in business have the credibility, experience and networks to show girls that STEM careers are achievable and enjoyable. Whether you mentor one student, speak to a college class, or reshape recruitment in your company, your influence can keep a girl in STEM and help build the diverse workforce UK business needs.
