A survey conducted by Engineers Ireland to assess people’s understanding of the engineering profession, reveals that 70 per cent of respondents do not know what the letters STEM stand for in relation to education. Science, technology, engineering and maths are collectively and commonly referred to as STEM by the Government, media, education and development agencies when speaking about the aforementioned industries and academic subjects. The survey, conducted for Engineers Week which is taking place around the country this week, examined respondents’ knowledge of what is an ‘engineer’. Given that there are over 70 disciplines of engineering and 20 common fields of engineering in Ireland it is not surprising that almost a third of those surveyed do not know what an engineer does. Further to this, over a quarter of those who claim to know incorrectly, think that an engineer is the person who fixes cars (mechanic) or the person who installs digital television and broadband in homes. fCommon misconceptions and a general lack of understanding such as these are part of the motivation for Engineers Week, during which a national progamme of events aims to educate students and adults about the possibilities of engineering as a career and the role of qualified engineers. According to the Engineers Ireland schools outreach programme, STEPS, one of the most frequent queries from students, parents and teachers at careers events is that of employment prospects in engineering. Although science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) related job announcements are widely reported on a regular basis, the findings reveal that almost 70% of people surveyed are unaware that engineering is a vibrant industry with many job opportunities. During the week, Regina Moran, chartered engineer, CEO of Fujitsu Ireland and President of Engineers Ireland is travelling to schools around the country in an effort to demystify engineering and inform people about the opportunities that exist for all students, girls and boys alike. “Engineers are in demand worldwide and we must find ways of attracting more students to the profession. It’s an exciting time to be an engineer as technology and engineering impacts upon our lives in ways we could not have imagined 10 years ago. If we are to leverage the potential of new developments like Big Data, renewable energy and medical technology then we will need many more highly skilled engineers, both men and women,” she said. “With over 800 events and school visits, Engineers Week gives our volunteer engineers the opportunity to meet with students, parents and teachers in their environment and promote engineering as a rewarding and prosperous career with new opportunities developing all the time,”  Moran continued. On the issue of gender balance, 81% of respondents, the majority of which are aged 25 – 44 years old, agree that engineering is a profession suited to both girls and boys alike. However, a fifth of those surveyed believe engineering is a career more suited to boys. “This is completely unacceptable in 2015”, said Moran who is passionate about attracting more women to the profession. “There is no logical reason for engineering to be considered a man’s profession in today’s modern society. Essentially engineers are problem solvers who have a flexible and creative approach to tasks. They require good communication skills and the ability to work in teams. These qualities are not exclusive to either men or women.” In 2013 the average percentage of female engineering graduates was 8.5 per cent from institutes of technology and 19.5 per cent from universities. The Engineers Ireland President commented further on the issue of gender imbalance in engineering saying, “There is still a long way to go to achieve more balance however the gap is narrowing and more female students are opting for engineering at third level. ‘Engineering is for Everyone’ is the theme for this year’s Engineers Week and I am pleased that among the many events there is a dedicated focus on inspiring change and promoting engineering as a career for women.” Engineers Week is coordinated on a national basis by Engineers Ireland as part of the school’s outreach programme STEPS, which is a strategic partner of Science Foundation Ireland’s (SFI) Discover Programme. Engineers Week will run from the February 8 - 14 with activities taking place nationwide and the full list of events can be found on EngineersWeek.ie.