By JoAnne Lancaster, Head of Workspace Services, Canon UK 

Today, there are approximately 6.4m people working in engineering and technology in the UK – around a fifth of the workforce. But only 16.9% of the UK’s engineering and technology workforce are women. 



This highlights an urgent need to increase the representation of women across the industry as a whole and celebrate the invaluable contributions they’re making to the sector across various roles.
   
This International Women in Engineering Day, we’re shining a spotlight on the inspiring females in our Services Team. More often than not, these roles represent an uncharted and overlooked pathway into the sector.

Challenges women still face today

Throughout my career, I‘ve had opportunities to break the mould in a field that still remains largely male dominated. With female technical engineers working amongst their peers, I’ve learnt a great deal about inclusive leadership and the power of diverse perspectives.
 
In my opinion, despite industry efforts and growing awareness, there are still key challenges females face in predominately male dominated industries. At the recruitment stage, recruiters’ unconscious biases and outdated stereotypes can limit opportunities from the outset. Then, once females are recruited, they often experience imposter syndrome due to a lack of ‘true’ equality and inclusivity. Thirdly, a shortage of visible role models can make it hard for women to envision long term career growth.

Diversifying roles and skills in engineering

Canon UK supports over 200 field based and workshop based engineers, who are committed to repairing, maintaining and optimising customers’ devices and workflows. 

Having a diverse workforce with a variety of skills is key to enhancing innovation and problem solving. That’s why incorporating both traditional field and technical service engineering roles is crucial when it comes to offering a seamless end to end service that supports the entire customer journey. 

When it comes to engineering, technical skill is imperative, but there are also other pieces to the puzzle that people often overlook. Transferable skills like communication, adaptability, decision making and customer service are equally critical in engineering roles and should all be considered during the recruitment process.  

Technical service roles in themselves are expansive – ranging from helpdesk and workshop to training, field service and management. Recognising and promoting these pathways can help to develop and diversify the wider engineering workforce. 

True belonging

To prevent females from experiencing isolation or imposter syndrome in male dominated industries, businesses must go beyond surface level inclusion. We need to foster and build an environment of ‘true belonging’ - where everyone feels empowered to bring their whole selves to work.

This starts with the basics, gender neutral policies and inclusive language. But it also means acknowledging and supporting women’s specific needs – whether that’s appropriate uniforms or simply the freedom to authentically express themselves.
At Canon, we live by our corporate philosophy of Kyosei – living and working together for the common good – and this value is reflected in the approach I take in my role as a head of department. 

Encouraging the next generation

Traditional engineering roles are rapidly evolving. In particular, the acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly transforming the industry by driving efficiency and enabling data driven decision making. 

To the contrary of believing that AI will replace people, my view is that AI is enhancing the way we work, enabling predictive maintenance, smarter workflows and modernising service delivery. With the need for skills to handle advanced technology and data also comes the need for advanced customer service and problem-solving skills.

Businesses should see this as an opportunity to attract diverse technical service teams with a wide skillset, to work together with AI, and take proactive and predictive problem solving to the next level.

Canon’s imageFORCE range has been a game changer when it comes to AI, leveraging machine learning to provide businesses with not only high quality and high volume print but also greater efficiency, strengthened security, enhanced reliability and improved sustainability.

With AI trained firmware and machine learning that recommends optimal settings and notifies issues, the imageFORCE range allows engineers to focus on solving problems, not just diagnosing them. 

This evolution presents a powerful opportunity to attract diverse talent with a wide range of skills. As a mentor, I take great pride in being involved with STEAM initiatives and working with allies. Mentoring isn’t just about guidance and sharing experiences, but also about opening doors, building confidence and showing what’s possible. 

Conclusion

Before real change can happen, businesses need to take responsibility and acknowledge that a major gender disparity still exists across the sector. 

By celebrating the diverse roles in engineering and how females are driving the sector forward in so many ways, businesses can continue to push the dial when it comes to female inclusivity in a predominantly male dominated industry. 
At the heart of our roles as females in the services team, is championing our contribution to the engineering industry and raising awareness of the diverse and evolving opportunities available.

www.canon.co.uk

As the Head of Workspace Services, JoAnne leads the operations and strategic direction of the Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI), Service Spares Inventory, and Field Service Teams. With a strong focus on customer experience, operational efficiency and service delivery, JoAnne has been in service since 1998 across different manufacturers. She joined Canon in 2017 as Customer Service Manager. 

Throughout her career, JoAnne has held multiple management roles across the Service function and is a mental health champion and inclusion ambassador. Combining her passion to foster opportunities and advocate for a workplace culture rooted in respect, belonging and community. 

A dedicated mentor and coach, JoAnne is committed to continuous personal and professional growth. She recently returned to university part-time to further develop her leadership and strategic capabilities, completing an Apprenticeship in Senior Leadership.