“How-to” guide highlights ways to encourage greater diversity within future engineering workforce

Our researchers and students have been working for several years on initiatives supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering
Charlie Eggs and students using new facilities in the Babbage Building.
Academics at the University of Plymouth have compiled a detailed guide encouraging organisations across the UK to follow their lead in fostering increased opportunities for neurodiverse and disabled engineering students.

A track record of success

Staff from the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics and the Plymouth Institute of Education have been working together since 2022 on a series of initiatives aimed at enhancing young people’s interest in engineering.
Those projects were conceived with around 21% of Plymouth students in the three engineering subjects registered disabled, and evidence suggesting a large proportion of these students are mature and from a lower economic background, while there is an attainment gap of ~7%.
In partnership with EqualEngineers,and funded by Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) as part of its Diversity Impact Programme, the project team – led by Associate Professor of Multimedia Communication and Intelligent Control, Dr Asiya Khan , and Professor of Inclusive Education Professor Suanne Gibson – delivered summer schools for Year 10 and post-16 pupils across Plymouth.
They also worked with students from the University to design and develop a range of activities, including micro-internships and bespoke mentoring schemes for students who are neurodivergent and/or have disabilities, alongside a series of guest lectures and webcasts by EqualEngineers.
In 2024, those behind the project created a Diversity Toolkit, providing guidance for teaching staff to incorporate diversity into their practice and, crucially, to ensure that students feel supported to pursue a career in the sector.
Asiya Khan and Suanne Gibson at the Equal Engineers Awards 2025
Asiya and Suanne at the Equal Engineers Awards 2025
Engineering 4 Inclusion summer school 2025
Students and mentors at the Engineering 4 Inclusion summer school

Leading the sector

They have now taken that work a step further, after being invited by the RAEng to produce a detailed “How-to” guide as part of the Academy’s EDI programme. The Plymouth guide aims to: 
  • increase staff awareness and understanding of neurodiversity and disability
  • provide interventions applicable to all disciplines and minority groups
  • share best practices for inclusive teaching, micro-internship schemes, and improving student outcomes across HEIs
  • contribute to higher NSS scores, better recruitment, and retention, and support OfS, DfE, and UNESCO SDGs in education. 
The guide is intended for further and higher education staff and students who are engaged with the STEM diversity and inclusion agenda, as well as the broader engineering sector wishing to widen participation in the industry.
Its aim is to transparently share details of the Plymouth project with others who may be considering implementing a similar project and, as such, it includes details of successful elements and others where challenges were encountered and overcome.
The Plymouth “How-to” guide forms part of a UK-wide drive by the RAEng to take insights and experience from the projects supported through its Diversity Impact Programme, and share them across the HE community so as to collectively to drive positive change.
Read the guide

Read the “How to” guide: Embedding Systemic Inclusion for Neurodiverse and Disabled Engineering Students

We are very excited to launch the “How-to” guide.

The guide captures the learning from our project on supporting neurodivergent and disabled engineering students in the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics at the University of Plymouth. 
I want to thank our diversity officers and RAEng for giving us the opportunity to develop interventions and best practices for inclusive teaching and improving student outcomes. Diverse engineering teams are key to addressing global challenges more effectively.

Asiya KhanDr Asiya Khan
Associate Professor at the University of Plymouth, and co-author of “How-to” guide created as part of the RAEng EDI programme

A core strength of this work is its foundation of collaboration and partnership with industry, government, the third sector and Higher Education.

By working with leaders and practitioners across these key areas and most importantly our students in HE, we have co-created something very special that's making evidenced impact on diverse students' achievement, confidence, graduate outcomes and fundamentally, belonging.

Suanne GibsonProfessor Suanne Gibson
Professor at the University of Plymouth, and co-author of “How-to” guide created as part of the RAEng EDI programme

Developed with, and for, students

Vivian Hocking, a BSc (Hons) Computing graduate currently working towards a PhD in Computing, has been one of the students involved in the initiatives and liaised between the project team and the University of Plymouth Students’ Union. He said: 
“Having spent my undergraduate years volunteering as a student representative, one of the most important aspects to me was supporting and raising awareness for neurodiverse students. Continuing with my postgraduate career at Plymouth, it’s been fantastic to continue to have the opportunity to provide student voice to the RAEng project. Co-creation initiatives like the ones happening at the University of Plymouth are fantastic ways to see the passion neurodiverse students have for their studies being consistently returned in kind with a passion for helping students to achieve their goals.”
Vivian Hocking

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