The debate around women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) isn’t a new one – however it’s one that remains a persistent concern across the tech industry. New research found that while the UK is supposedly on its journey to becoming a ‘science and technology superpower’, the number of girls in England taking a GCSE in computing has more than halved in less than a decade.
At the same time, the digital skills gap is continuing to impact technology teams. With an ever-growing list of emerging technology requiring an increasingly advanced skillset, the industry is struggling to keep up. The fact that women are still severely underrepresented in the industry is a major hindrance to closing this skills gap.
Now more than ever, we need to encourage the next generation in its entirety to adopt tech skills and bring fresh talent into the industry – because how can we truly address this skills gap when girls remain significantly less confident to pursue STEM subjects?
3M senior technical manager and Women in STEM ambassador.
The Government’s responsibility
The responsibility of encouraging young people into STEM careers doesn’t lie with one group. Parents and teachers evidently have a huge influence on young people’s early development at home and at school, however they aren’t the only ones with a part to play.
In fact, when it comes to encouraging young people in early careers, we recently discovered that over half of UK adults believe the Government should play a pivotal role in promoting STEM careers, alongside 50% believing companies should be responsible.
Governments have significant influence over our country’s education offering, and therefore have the power to drive more diverse and inclusive STEM education in schools. In recent years, we’ve not seen the Government use this power to its greatest extent. However, we’re at a pivotal moment in UK politics and we hope that the newly elected Government will do more to encourage women into STEM careers. Incoming education and science secretaries, Bridget Philipson and Peter Kyle have made some encouraging early moves, and their appointments have been largely welcomed by industry, but there is a lot of work to be done and results will take time.
Whether that’s revising curriculums, or offering more scholarship schemes and diverse STEM opportunities, there are a number of steps the Government can take to ensure young girls have equal opportunities in the science and technology spaces. Developing a wider range of practical qualifications and apprenticeships can help broaden access and open new routes into the industry for those who may have previously shied away from STEM careers.
Fueling the tech sector with diverse talent
With such a long list of priorities for the new UK Government, why is it so important that encouraging STEM careers doesn’t fall off the agenda?
The future of the science and technology industries is bright, as nearly 7 out of 10 agree that jobs in STEM are the future of work. However, this ongoing lack of diversity and representation across roles in STEM will inevitably continue to hold the industry back.
Within tech teams, diverse perspectives fuel innovation and growth. The wider the range of ideas and skillsets available, the quicker and more effectively we’ll be to solve problems. To solve for the diverse society we live in today, we need everyone to be represented. We therefore must ensure that tech teams don’t miss out on the huge potential that underrepresented groups offer for closing the STEM skills gap.
To attract and retain women in these sectors, tech leaders must address workplace biases and culture. The Government can also do more to address childcare affordability, given the UK’s high childcare costs are continuing to rise. By establishing family-friendly policies, extending childcare support, and offering flexible working arrangements, the Government and employers can work together to create an inclusive environment that supports all employees, particularly women and parents, and fosters greater diversity and progress.
Harnessing the power of role models
Women are a source of untapped potential. There is one simple thing that everyone can do to help change this narrative – providing role models in the industry who can lead by example. It has been proven that having STEM role models significantly increases girls' interest in these subjects, as careers are often sparked by having recognizable and successful people to look up to.
Whether it’s for working parents who need relatable role models sharing how they balance life and work, or young girls who can be guided and inspired by engaging teachers across STEM subjects, role models can come in a variety of forms. For so many, including myself, having inspirational teachers can guide individuals onto the path towards a career in STEM.
We need to dispel the genius myth and instead show that people working in science, tech and engineering are just like everyone else. Encouraging current STEM employees to share stories about their day-to-day work can help to highlight the wide range of jobs and careers available in the sector, as well as the diversity of people within the STEM workforce.
My vision is that every woman considering, or navigating, a STEM career, has a sky full of role models - both stars and streetlights. The stars are brilliant people who they can aspire to, who break glass ceilings and smash stereotypes; but the stars are far away. Closer to home, are the streetlights: the friends, family, teachers, mentors, and volunteers who hold our hands and light the path.
Diverting the STEM narrative
The overarching goal is to uplift those looking to get into the STEM industry, while also opening the door to those who may not have considered the industry as a viable career option for them. All students should feel empowered to choose science, technology, engineering, and math subjects when the time comes to consider qualifications and careers.
However, the focus isn’t only on young people entering their early careers. We also need to be supporting those who are in the process of navigating the industry and their working lives, to ensure that the numbers of women leaving the industry doesn’t continue to rise. By breaking stereotypes and giving women and young people relatable role models to look up to, we can encourage them to pursue and excel in STEM careers.
The Government and companies in the STEM sector need to work together to help challenge long-standing stereotypes about people and careers in STEM. To do so, we urge them to engage with all generations to showcase the wide-ranging future possibilities in STEM career paths - ensuring that the opportunities available act as a springboard into the sector and that the right support is out there to help both young people and industry professionals continue building on their skills.
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