Countdown to doll tour promoting careers in engineering

Lottie doll
Lottie doll

In a few days, volunteers from the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) will be posting photos of a Lottie doll showing the range of careers in industry to prospective young engineers.

The campaign is part of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week held from November 2-6. During the week, volunteers will post photos on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn with the hashtag #WESLottieTour.

The purpose of the tour is to show what a career in engineering might look like through the use of a Lottie doll. Lottie’s travels aim to capture the imagination of young girls and boys who may not understand what it means to be an engineer. Parents, grandparents, other family members and teachers are being asked to share the photos with young people to spark an interest in engineering. This year the initiative is being sponsored by GKN Automotive.

Lottie Doll makers Arklu have donated the dolls that are sent to WES volunteers who participate, along with specially made PPE including hard hats, high vis jackets, lab coats and safety glasses, so Lottie is ready to go on site in manufacturing and engineering situations.

Engineers, both male and female, from numerous engineering companies have taken part in this year’s Lottie Tour, including Airbus, WSP, BAE Systems and Ramboll and UK universities including the University of Exeter, University of Warwick, Loughborough University and the University of Southampton.

Understandably, this year has led to challenges as many volunteers are working from home. There is also the option of taking part in a virtual Lottie Tour where volunteers can download a Lottie doll to make their own photos online.

Women’s Engineering Society CEO Elizabeth Donnelly said: “The Society is delighted we are holding the fifth Lottie Tour. This year has been challenging for engineers, having to deal with working from home and also adapting their sites and processes to help with the pandemic. It will be lovely to see Lottie working during the pandemic, whether at home, in the lab or on the factory floor, and to see her working on domestic projects. We hope that Lottie can show how engineers can adapt to many situations and also support the effort to eradicate the virus.”

If you would like to take part this year visit: www.weslottietour.org.uk

Tomorrow’s Engineers Week www.tomorrowsengineers.org.uk

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