Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ( STEM )  sector has always been seen as male dominated,  is this just a perception or fact?

The following information suggests that it is fact. 

IT

• Women as computing professionals stand @ 18% out of a workforce in this sector of 1m.
•  E skills UK report that 1 in 5 of the IT workforce is female and only 1 fifth of those undertaking IT related degree courses are women.
• The IT Trade association reports that female computing professionals face a pay differential of  more than 1/5  compared the national average of 17%.
•  The Silicon.com 2008 Skills survey shows that 32% of   female respondents are in the lowest paid bracket of less than £25k compared to 20% of men.  There is a degree of parity in the mid bracket of £25k - £40K  although the men in this sector who earn in excess of £55k is double that of females,  32%  to 17%.

Why the shortfall of women entering this sector?

The ‘leaky pipeline’  is an EC wide  phenomenon  meaning that, as girls progress through education they slowly lose interest in working in technology because of something as simple as the perceived image of  a computer ‘ techie’  however  in March 2009  a  European Code of Practice for Women in IT was established to encourage women to succeed in this sector. Companies and organisations signing the code of conduct commit to increasing the numbers of women in science, technology and engineering higher education, and to recruiting and retaining female talent to Europe's telecoms and internet-related industries. Mentoring schemes, open days, and computer camps are some of the ways in which these companies are attracting women to the sector. In 2008 an EC analysis of 150 European Companies in the telecoms sector found only an average of 6% female directors on  these boards,  so it’s actually part of the bigger picture of not just women in technology but women in management and boardroom.

Opportunity Now is pleased to have partnered with The Constuction Industry Council to produce ' Building the Future' . 

Building the Future: How Women Professionals can Make a Difference explores the major issues for built environment firms if they wish to compete and prosper in the knowledge economy. It provides insights into why tapping the talents of women is essential for success. Recommendations for creating workplaces that work for all are provided to guide actions. These actions are appropriate to small and medium sized firms as well as larger ones.  Download the complete research from the  documents section on this page.

Construction and engineering.

• Only 1% of Modern Apprentices in Construction and the Motor Industry are female.
• 2.6% of Engineering Apprentices are female.
• The proportion of females on Engineering Apprenticeships is actually falling - from 4.6% in 2002/2003 to 2.6% in 2006/2007.  ( UCAS Statistics 2007).

The Contract  Journal reported that despite efforts being made to recruit women into the construction sector,   they are having limited success  and women still only make up  10% of built environment industries. 
An assessment of the real barriers facing women in the construction industry is available in a report published by CIOB and is available for download. at The Chartered Institute of Building.