A WOMEN in Engineering event hosted by Keighley College has been hailed as a success.

More than 30 girls attended and took part in a series of workshops.

The event, held at Gesipa in the town, gave the youngsters first-hand experience of engineering roles and paths into the industry.

It was staged as part of a wider project in line with long-term Government plans to promote to women high levels of skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

Joanne Stork, apprenticeships team leader at the college, said: "The Women in Engineering event was a great opportunity for girls to learn all they possibly could about the different career routes in engineering and have some fun at the same time!

"It was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended."

She said it was important to raise awareness of opportunities, engage girls from an early age and provide female role models who would help young people gain confidence and show them that they can achieve what they aspire to.

"The more open we are about creating opportunities for aspiring female engineers the better equipped we will be and the more appealing the sector will be to girls who think that only men can become engineers," she added.

The event also included several seminars and presentations, staged in conjunction with Produmax and Keighley Labs.

Caroline Wither, an engineer at DePuy said: "The event was a great success.

"There was a broad range of engineering companies, appealing to various interests."