Higher Rates of Women in Engineering

     

       Are we doing enough to encourage girls to pursue careers in Engineering?

       It isn't enough (anymore) to say that there are more women in Engineering today then there were 10 and 20 and 30 years ago.  The numbers of women in Engineering in these past years was so low that (one would hope) those numbers have gone up.  But recently, the percentage of females earning bachelor degrees in engineering has stubbornly remained only steady.

       Lots of data suggest that the number of female engineers should be increasing.  More high school women are taking Statistics, Calculus, and Physics.  More women than men have been enrolled in college since 1978.  Women have been earning more college degrees than men since 1981.  And the prospects for jobs in engineering is growing.  

       Opportunities abound; so if you're a middle or high school teacher or principal, or you're a parent of girl, be sure they get the message that they can do anything.  Don't feed the stereotype that says men are engineers.  Help them to be proud of their abilities and to pursue their dreams.  

       We need more women to be engineers.

Soft Skills Education

       Our public schools' biggest offering is opportunity.  Students learn from qualified professionals and from a long list of course offerings--probably the longest at the high school level.  But we are not just teaching our students the R's, we are preparing them for the adult world.  This means that we are also tasked with teaching our students the so-called "soft skills".  Here is a short list of some of these skills:

• Listening 
• Presentation Skills 
• Giving Feedback 
• Decision Making 
• Inspiring 
• Persuasion 
•  Interpersonal Relationships 
• Dealing with Difficult People 
• Conflict Resolution 
• Self Confidence 
• Resilience 
• Assertiveness 
• Friendliness 
• Empathy 
  
• Problem Solving 
• Critical Thinking 
• Organization 
• Planning 
• Scheduling 
• Time Management

       Employers tell us that high school and college graduates who have these soft skills are much more likely to be successful employees than those who don't.  Students aren't "graded" on these skills in school, however many of these skills are incorporated into classrooms as rules of behavior (friendliness, conflict resolution, planning), suggested steps in completing assignments (decision making, resilience, organization), and learning strategies (problem solving, critical thinking, giving feedback).

       Students who are successful and confident usually possess these skills at a high level.  Students who are only concerned with the "book work" of school may possess the knowledge needed for their future, but they may also struggle with relationships with their co-workers.  This "soft-skills" education is an important part of our school system.  The ability of our students to get along with other students and to organize their thoughts, ideas, and lives is all a part of growing up and being responsible.  

       And everyone gets to receive this education for free in our public schools.