The University of the West of England (UWE) has officially opened its new School of Engineering building with a commitment to help increase the number of women and people from underrepresented groups working in the sector.
With the inauguration, UWE Bristol has announced its intentions to enrol more students with neurodiversity.
The university has also set a target to double its number of female engineering students.
The new facility at the institution’s Frenchay campus in Bristol has allowed its student body to expand to 1,600.
Comprising four floors and 8,500 sq.metres, the new school will feature teaching studios, modelling and simulation suites, laboratories, specialist workshops and student learning zones accommodating a wide range of engineering disciplines such as composite manufacturing, machining and metrology.
UWE hopes the new building will help to meet the demand for skilled engineers in the region, including supplying degree apprentices for Airbus and Rolls-Royce in Filton.
According to figures published on the Royal Academy of Engineering website, 8% of professional engineers in the UK are female, the lowest proportion in Europe, while 6% come from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
Image: New School of Engineering Building (Credit: UWE Bristol)
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