I am so glad to see this dialogue on career-related learning experiences.
After all equity in education means little if it doesn't translate into
equity in the workplace.
At this point, women and girls stand to be left out of technology education
and hence the excellent employment opportunities it affords. The status of
women in trade and technical education and related careers in the today is
similar to what professional women in SMET faced twenty years ago.
Role models are difficult to identify in occupations in which women
represent less than five percent of the workforce, such as electricians
(two percent),
office machine repairers (two percent), auto technicians (one percent),
and aircraft mechanics (one percent). Statistics on the number of women
in information technology occupations are not kept by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics,
but women are widely reported to be underrepresented in these occupations
in
this
rapidly expanding field.
In many cases, the salaries paid to entry-level SMET technicians exceed the
salaries of individuals with four-year college degrees. In Seattle,
employers
pay workers certified in network technologies $15 to $20 per hour to start.
Automobile technicians in Houston make an average salary of $60,000 to
$80,000/yr. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) mechanics
start at $60,000/yr. in Orem, Utah. Thus technician-level SMET jobs
provide a route to high paying careers for women (and men) the majority
of whom do not obtain a four-year college degree. Two-thirds of women
in the workforce are in nonprofessional occupations (Women's Bureau,
1993).
Whereas SMET technicians are in extremely high demand, there are a limited
number of jobs available in SMET occupations that require college degrees.
Truly expanding SMET opportunities for women means expanding the focus
of equity efforts and resources to include technician-level careers.
The number of young women enrolled in technology education and related
work-based learning experiences must be increased if women are to take
advantage of the excellent career opportunities in technology fields. The
rewards for women will be very high: with two-thirds of women in the
workforce in non-professional occupations increased access of women
to SMET education at the technician level translates into increased access
to SMET education and careers for the majority of women in the workforce.
For more information on how to recruit women and girls for technology
education and
careers and to retain them come to our WomenTech Train-the-Trainer
on October 18 and 19 in the Bay Area.
http://www.iwitts.com/html/upcoming_workshops.html
____________________________________________
Donna Milgram
Executive Director
Institute for Women in Trades, Technology & Science
www.iwitts.com * donnam@iwitts.com
1150 Ballena Blvd, Suite 102
Alameda, CA 94501
510-749-0200 ext. 101 (phone) 510-749-0500 (fax)
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