The Face of Engineering Festival

The top left reads 'Supported by', followed by the following logos: National Lottery Heritage Fund,Reece Foundation, NA College, Community Foundation - The Platten Family Fund, Stadler, Nexus, Turner & Townsend, EngineeringUK, Crowne Plaza an IHG Hotel Newcastle - Stephenson Quarter, Women In Transport, North East Ambition, European Union European Social Fund, North East Local Enterprise Partnership.

A 3-day festival at The Common Room from 7th - 9th April, celebrating how engineering is for everyone.

We invite everyone from industry professionals to families to join us for The Face of Engineering Festival this April, as we host an Industry Conference, Schools Day and Family Day, led by a range of inspiring women and engineers of colour.

A person in a colourful dress, grinning, wither their arms spread out. Behind them is a desk, featuring a monitor with a close-up shot of a circuit board.

Thursday 7th April - Industry Conference

Join us in-person or via live stream for a day-long conference, celebrating the diverse faces in engineering, and driving action around the recruitment and retention of women, LGBTQ+ people, and people of colour in the industry.

We will hear from a range of inspiring engineers through a number of panel discussions and workshops, open to all who are passionate about changing the current face of engineering.

Photo credit: Diego Maeso

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A photo of two children pointing at a red exhibition board, which reads 'Women in engineering'.

Friday 8th April - Schools Day

An invite-only event for Key Stage 3 students from local schools, to meet real engineers and take part in a number of engineering and wider STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths)-based activities.

A photo of a child sat at a table, working on a technical skills board.

Saturday 9th April - Family Activity Day

A day of free, fun and informal drop-in science and engineering activities, for families and the general public. Meet real, diverse engineers; get hands-on with some exciting pieces of equipment; take part in exciting Virtual Reality challenges; and so much more!

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Why The Face of Engineering Festival?

Did you know that a 2020 EngineeringUK survey (Labour Force Survey Q3 2020) showed that only 14.5% of those working in engineering are female? Here at The Common Room, we are incredibly passionate about supporting a diverse future workforce in the engineering and wider STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) sectors, to see our society better-reflected in the industries, and the products, services, buildings and spaces they develop.

The Face of Engineering Festival will challenge stereotypes of who an engineer is, celebrate and drive greater representation in the engineering workforce for women, people of colour and LGBTQ+ people, and bring together young people and families to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers.