Celebrating STEM careers on Ada Lovelace Day 2025

On Ada Lovelace Day let’s celebrate the story of one of the brightest minds in engineering, and join the grassroots campaign to get more women and girls into STEM.

The goal of Ada Lovelace Day is to increase the profile of women in STEM and encourage more women and girls into STEM careers while supporting the women who make a difference.

About Ada Lovelace Day

Ada Lovelace is widely considered to be history’s first computer programmer. When Charles Babbage developed the theory behind his Analytical Engine in the mid-19^th century, Lovelace put her skills as a maths whiz and writer to work. Her passion for ‘poetical science’ helped bring the engine’s concept to life and give it purpose beyond what its inventor had intended.

Lovelace took her unique philosophy and applied it to other fields following her work with Babbage. She learned about electrical engineering to help her understand aspects of how the brain works, and historians have dug up letters she wrote to her mother about projects concerning the meeting of maths and music. Ada’s legacy lives on through her initial work on the analytical engine, which would form the basis of all computing.

And so, every year on the second Tuesday of October, people come together to celebrate the life and achievements of Ada Lovelace through events in schools, libraries and museums; with lectures, seminars and even pub quizzes!

We’re proud to make our own contribution to benefit those interested in a career in STEM – earlier this year we launched the Women in STEM Apprenticeships: Employers' Guide. 

Our guide to getting into STEM

Check out these STEM stats:

• Women and girls make up almost half (49.4%) of apprenticeships, but only 14% complete STEM apprenticeship programmes.
• There are now over one million women in STEM occupations, that’s still just 26% of the STEM workforce.
• More than three quarters (78%) of young women aged 11-17 express an interest in tech, but only half of that number (39%) thinks about pursuing a career in tech.
• The share of women working in engineering and technology has dropped from 16.5% in 2022 to 15.7% in 2023 – a decrease of 38,000 women.
• The average UK STEM business is understaffed by 10 workers.

Enginuity is dedicated to making a difference in the engineering and manufacturing sector by increasing the diversity of the people who work in it. Women and girls can play a big part – all they need is the passion for STEM and the support from people who can inspire them towards a career in it.

Our Women in STEM Apprenticeships Guide presents practical advice and insights for employers. The guidance around job recruitment, onboarding and other issues will hopefully help women and girls overcome the barriers associated with accessing STEM apprenticeships.

You’ll also find data on apprenticeships around the UK, case studies, and links to more resources from other STEM campaigns – including more about Ada Lovelace Day.

STEM Apprenticeships Guide for Employers