Let's Talk About Sex!

Actually, I’d like to advocate sex education for engineering and I want you to participate in the ‘practicals’. The success of engineering and technology in the UK depends on it, the success of your organisation depends on it.

In short, we need to overcome the obstacles to progress on equality of opportunity to pursue a career in engineering. These obstacles arise from traditional and stereotyped views, which still shape young people’s aspirations in education, training and employment. It is the result of such views that 92% of hairdressing apprentices are female and 97% of engineering manufacturing apprentices are male. (Source: Equal Opportunities Commission)

I’d like you to check whether your organisation is inclusive towards women in engineering. How does it portray them in its promotional literature; in its policy documents; in its procedures? Does it countenance their possibility, even if it doesn’t employ any at present? (And while you’re at it, check how inclusive of women is your corporate attitude to senior management! Do you offer a career path to women engineers? Can you demonstrate that?)”

The irony is that it is a human characteristic to think in paradigms - a sort of ‘short-hand thinking’. We make assumptions - sometimes correctly, sometimes erroneously - but this enables us to form opinions rapidly and quickly establish relationships. This is immensely useful, as most human endeavor is achieved when we work together with one another.

However, it is the same paradigm-thinking, which leads some individuals to think:

"Women don’t want to work in engineering because it’s dirty and smelly!"
Or "It’s a man’s job to look after the car!"

Or "Girls aren’t any good at maths/science/technology/etc."

(This clearly is not true. According to the EOC statistics, while number of entrants at GCSE/SCE in these subjects is approximately even, the proportion of girls attaining Grades A-C or 1-3 is slightly higher) or "Girls don’t have the physical strength for engineering!"

or "We don’t want to employ a woman - it would upset the men!"

and ultimately: "I don’t understand this issue, so I’ll avoid it!"

Thus, the employment of women in engineering becomes a taboo subject - not talked about - just like sex!

There are two reasons why business needs to worry about the lack of representation of the female sex in science, engineering and technology. Firstly, our organisations need the best! Stereotypical thinking leads us to ignore at least half the potential candidates for recruitment into these careers. "We’re only fishing in half the pool!" According to the Engineering Council women account for about 14% of engineering degree students; 5% of technician and 2% of craft students. Good engineers are good engineers no matter what their ethnic origin, gender, religion or social background.

Secondly, our organisations need diversity in the workforce! Diversity promotes innovation, which enhances competitive advantage. This is extremely important in engineering organisations where change is occurring so fast! Key requirements for engineering in the future are agility, flexibility and capability to evolve as working environments change. These are not gender-specific traits.

Now, let’s talk about those "practicals"

Firstly
Get your organization involved with "taster" sessions: visits and open days to your business for schoolchildren, teachers, careers advisers, parents. At least let them form an opinion based on information not popular belief and misconceptions. (According to Mike Beasley, Executive Director of Jaguar Cars Ltd, you could eat your dinner off his factory’s floor - now there’s an idea!)

Secondly
I’d like you to check whether your organisation is inclusive towards women in engineering. How does it portray them in its promotional literature; in its policy documents; in its procedures? Does it countenance their possibility, even if it doesn’t employ any at present? (And while you’re at it, check how inclusive of women is your corporate attitude to senior management! Do you offer a career path to women engineers? Can you demonstrate that?)

Finally (and most personally)
I’d like each and everyone of you to check your own paradigms. Here’s a story to think about.
Two engineering students were walking across campus, when one said: "Where did you get such a great bike?" The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday, minding my own business when a stunningly good-looking woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, ‘Take what you want!’" The second engineer nodded approvingly, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn’t have fitted."

How was it for you?

Article printed kind courtesy of The Women’s Engineer Society www.wes.org.uk

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by Petra Godwin, Member of the Women’s Engineering Society