A group of girls aged 12 and above will be taken to one of the region’s major technology centres in a bid to encourage them to see career opportunities in science and engineering.

Volunteers from Gainsborough Community Library will take the youngsters to BT at Adastral Park, Martlesham on Tuesday, February 19.

The day will involve a number of workshops where they will be taught about the career opportunities open to them into so-called STEM subjects - Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

Mandy Grimwood, manager at Gainsborough Library, said: “We feel it is so important to offer opportunities such as this to girls, to raise their aspirations and to encourage them to believe that they can have successful careers of their choice.”

BT and the orgainsation Stemettes are inviting young girls in the county to explore apprenticeships, A-level choices, university degrees and work experience.

An impressive panel of seven fantastic women in STEM careers and a ‘mystery man’ will answer any questions about their roles, offering specialist advice.

Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, chief executive of Stemettes, added: “We’re excited to bring some Stemettes inspiration to the girls and young women in Ipswich.

“We’ve been overwhelmed with the response and are looking forward to showing the next generation some awesome technical women, while they enjoy some food and some fun with us.”

While the number of women in technology careers has increased in recent years, there are still very few applications which come from women.

READ MORE: ‘There’s Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, but we need women tech role models,’ says director

Suffolk Libraries is offering the event free of charge and are providing free transport by minibus.

Bookings close today (Thursday, February 14) and only seven spaces remain.

Contact Suffolk Libraries using their website to book.