The EPC was delighted to support the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity Impact Programme (DIP) Community of Practice event in April 2026, hosted by Swansea University.
The keynote presentation, by Stella Fowler, Director of Policy and Research at the EPC, offered insight into a series of filters, nudges, and unintended consequences that accumulate into something systemic, when it comes to the demographic intake into UK Engineering degrees.
The evidence-based presentation drew on some amazing facts and figures to tell the story of who’s admitted to UK engineering degrees; who gets in, who gets through, and who never even makes it to the starting line. This is a system trying to be fair, but not yet succeeding.
Because when we talk about engineering enrolments, we’re not just talking about recruitment. We’re talking about identity. About who sees engineering as “for them”.
If we want a more diverse engineering workforce, we must build a more diverse engineering admissions system. That means:
- Demystifying entry routes.
- Reducing unnecessary subject requirements.
- Making contextual offers meaningful.
- Being transparent about what we actually accept.
- Engaging earlier, more consistently, and more creatively.
- And above all, recognising that every barrier we remove expands the future of engineering.
Because the question is not “How do we get more students into engineering?” The question is: “How do we make engineering a place where more students, from more backgrounds, want to be?”
See the EPC keynote slide deck here. You can read the full presentation here.
