The number of women in engineering jobs in the UK could increase as a result of a new jobs initiative launched by an industry body.

According to the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA), its campaign could reduce barriers to employment within the sector for female workers.

Entitled Wired for Success: ECA Women into Electrical Contracting, the scheme aims to provide a blueprint for entering the electrical contracting industry.

Female employment within the workforce has reached its highest point since 1988 and former president of the ECA Diane Johnson is spearheading the campaign in a bid to get more women involved, pointing out that it offers flexibility for those raising families.

She said: "On the one hand, our industry is facing an impending skills crisis. On the other, there are more than a million unemployed women in the UK at the moment."

Chief executive of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation Kevin Green recently warned the UK has problems with skills shortages in spite of recent rises in joblessness, with sectors such as HR, IT and engineering particularly affected.

Posted by Alex Donnell