As part of its commitment to increase the number of females in engineering and technology roles, Electrolux recently hosted a group of 16 young girls at its headquarters in Stockholm. From 3D drawing to learning how a dishwasher works, the girls got a hands-on experience of what it is like to work as an engineer at Electrolux.
The girls, aged 10 to 14, were divided into small groups and moved between different engineer workstations where they took apart a vacuum cleaner to see how it works, discovered how to use a 3D printer to create a component and learned how to think like a programmer.
During the course of the day, many of the girls went from not knowing what an engineer was to deciding it was an exciting career.
“We received extremely positive feedback, both from the girls during the wrap-up and from teachers and parents afterwards. Most of the girls were very eager to visit Electrolux again next year, or to have the same experience with another company. It was a great success as it inspired young girls to follow their interest and strive for an education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects,” says Sarah Tempelmann, Technical Project Leader at Electrolux.
Elisa Babelon, 10, was one of the participants. Before she came to Electrolux, Elisa did not know what an engineer was, but left inspired.
Her mother Helena Babelon, Head of IT Sustainability and Continuous Improvement at Electrolux said: “The three girls I know who participated were so excited all day and it was very rewarding to see their enthusiasm. I am sure a seed has been planted in them to be curious about technical things!”
About her experience, Elisa said: “I learned how a vacuum cleaner is built up and to draw 3D figures on a computer. I even printed an E in 3D. That was very fun.”
Her favorite part of the day? Taking apart a vacuum cleaner!
About the initiative
This event was part of Introducing a Girl to Engineering Day (IGE). IGE Day was created in 2014 by Womengineer— an organization for female engineers and engineering students— to increase interest in technology and engineering among young girls. Companies, organizations and colleges around Sweden are encouraged to participate by inviting young girls for a day of activities to give them an insight into what it’s like to work as an engineer.