Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
Attracting young people to engineering starts with making the profession visible, tangible and welcoming. That is the thinking behind Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, which has become a yearly tradition at Sandvik Coromant.
On March 20, 2026, Sandvik Coromant opened its doors in Sandviken, Sweden, to welcome girls and non-binary youth aged 13 to 19 for a day designed to show what engineering looks like in real life. The event brought participants into an industrial environment where they could meet engineers, explore machining technology and take part in practical challenges.
From the moment they arrived, the focus was on experience. Participants engaged directly with engineers and professionals who shared their career journeys, demonstrated advanced machining technology and offered insights into what it means to work in engineering today.
For many young visitors, it was their first close-up encounter with industrial engineering. Emma Hörnkvist, 14, from Sofiedal school in Gävle, decided to attend after hearing about the event from her science teacher.
“My science teacher told me about this event and I thought it sounded really fun so I decided to come. My favourite part was when they told us about the machines!”
My favourite part was when they told us about the machines!
Throughout the day, participants took part in a series of challenges designed to test their creativity and problem-solving skills. Natalie Alsén, Executive Assistant to the Vice Presidents of Sandvik Coromant, saw that engagement first-hand.
“It was an incredibly enjoyable day, where the participants’ engagement truly stood out. It was inspiring to witness their creativity and problem-solving skills throughout the different challenges.”
The event also created space for mentorship. The engineers who took part as role models brought technical knowledge, but also realities of their work, the paths they had taken and the opportunities engineering had opened for them. When young people meet professionals they can relate to, engineering stops feeling like an abstract path chosen by someone else.
The industry continues to face a skills gap, alongside a clear need for broader perspectives and more diverse talent. At Sandvik Coromant, IGEDay is a practical response to that challenge. It reflects a long-term commitment to helping more young people see that engineering is a field where they can belong, contribute and grow.
“For us at Sandvik Coromant, IGEday is more than a tradition, it’s a commitment to building a more inclusive, innovative industry. Because the real solution to the skills gap starts with who we choose to inspire,” says Elena Kelley, Employer Branding Manager at Sandvik Coromant.
When young people see themselves reflected in the world of engineering, they are more likely to imagine a place for themselves in it. That is what IGEday at Sandvik Coromant is designed to do — help the next generation of engineers take the first step.