The number of women studying motorsport and engineering at Wiltshire College & University Centre has tripled since 2020, highlighting growing interest among young women in STEM careers.
Motorsport engineering student Rachel Robertson recently made her debut in the F1 Academy series, competing on the international stage and reflecting the growing opportunities available to students.
The College is celebrating the increasing number of female students choosing courses in engineering, automotive and motorsport, as interest in STEM careers continues to grow.
Figures show that 21 women are currently studying on motorsport engineering programmes, compared with six in September 2020. The 2024/25 academic year saw a peak of 22 students, bringing the total number of female students on the courses to 80 over the past six years.
More women choosing STEM
Lily Rayner-Blundell, our Executive Director of Curriculum and Lackham Campus, said it has been encouraging to see more female students represented across all levels of study.
“It’s fantastic to see more girls in every class,” she said. “That’s from Level 1 right through to degree-level courses. It really shows that girls are increasingly seeing STEM subjects as a pathway into exciting careers including motorsport and engineering.”
Lily said the increase reflects growing awareness that engineering and motorsport offer exciting and varied career opportunities for young women.
“Girls often approach problem solving in different ways and bring different perspectives,” she said. “That diversity of thinking is really positive for industries like engineering and motorsport.”
Turning passion into a career
Jodie Buxton, 20, from Devizes, is completing a Bachelor’s degree in Motorsport Technology at the College’s specialist University Centre based at Castle Combe.
Jodie said her interest in engineering began when she was younger, working on vehicles with her family.
“When I was younger my dad and I used to tinker with bikes, and he also had a taxi business, so I spent a lot of time helping with cars,” she said. “That’s really what got me into it.”
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She believes the growing number of women working across the industry is helping make engineering careers more accessible.
“Representation is really important,” she said. “If you look at Formula One now, there are more women working in roles like engineers and radio engineers.”
Jodie hopes to continue her studies after completing her degree and eventually move into high-performance engineering.
“I’d like to do a master’s in aeronautical engineering and branch into the aerospace side,” she said.
Students are already gaining experience across the motorsport and engineering industries. Motorsport engineering student Rachel Robertson recently made her debut in the F1 Academy series – a championship created by the Formula One World Championship to support the development of female racing drivers.
She finished tenth in her opening race in Shanghai, demonstrating her ability to compete at an international level, and continuing to build experience in the series.
Stories like Jodie’s and Rachel’s reflect the growing opportunities for women pursuing careers in STEM subjects, an area highlighted during British Science Week.
The College is also developing new initiatives to support women entering the industry, including plans for an all-female student racing team.
More women. More STEM. More possibilities
Explore the courses helping students turn their interests into careers in engineering, motorsport and beyond.
