Barking and Dagenham College’s engineering course is bucking the national trend by having several female teachers.

According to the organisers of International Women in Engineering Day, women form just 11 per cent of the UK’s engineering sector.

However at the college three out of eight (40 per cent) of the engineering staff are female.

Annette Waterson, curriculum team leader for the course, said: “When I was at college there were only six female students in the whole engineering, construction and motor vehicle department. In comparison there were more than 300 male students.”

She has also urged people to take up engineering because jobs in the industry are unlikely to be taken by robots in years to come.

“There are going to be jobs in this industry for years to come, so if you’ve got an enquiring mind and like problem solving them studying engineering could lead to a very successful career.”