In the field of engineering, men hold most of the jobs. But DiscoverE is hoping to change that. On February 25, DiscoverE, formally known as the National Engineers Week Foundation, will celebrate its annual Girl Day, to devote to inspiring girls to pursue engineering careers. Although women fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S. economy, they hold less than 25% in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The agency also reported that women hold a very low share of college degrees in these fields, particularly in engineering.
With such a large gender(性别) gap in STEM jobs across the country, DiscoverE says its goal is to demonstrate to girls the different fields available to them. It also intends to reveal the various myths that may be causing girls to shy away from this line of work. TFK spoke with Valecia Maclin, a director of cyber security at Raytheon, a technology company and one of DiscoverE’s corporate partners.
Maclin admits there are usually very few girls in engineering classes. Such was the case in her own experience, but rarely will there be only one girl in the class. She believes that this can work in favor of girls. “None will forget who you are and everyone will know who you are,” Maclin says. She adds that the pressure of being part of a small group can do more to increase determination, rather than fear.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women working full time only make about 79% of what men earn. However, STEM careers are usually in such high demand that even starting salaries are high. “In engineering, your performance is the driving force behind what you get paid, regardless of your gender.” Maclin says.
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